To Be So Fond

Posted originally on the Archive of Our Own at http://archiveofourown.org/works/41125044.

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Archive Warning: Choose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Category: F/M
Fandom: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Relationship: Toph Beifong/Sokka, Toph Beifong/Satoru, Established Katara/Zuko -
Relationship
Character: Toph Beifong, Sokka (Avatar), Katara (Avatar), Zuko (Avatar), Suki
(Avatar), Aang (Avatar), Iroh (Avatar), Satoru (Avatar), Lao Beifong,
Hakoda (Avatar), Malina (Avatar Comics), Original Characters,
Background & Cameo Characters
Additional Tags: Bridgerton x ATLA AU no one asked for, Friends to Lovers, Idiots in
Love, Denial of Feelings, Serious Fucking Denial, Angst and Fluff and
Smut, Sexual Content, Explicit Language, Toph Beifong's Metalbending
Academy, No Avatar in this universe, Inspired by Romancing Mr.
Bridgerton, takes place in the 1800s, Alternate Universe - Regency, In
the ATLA-verse but influenced by Grosvenor Square, there’s bending in
this, and it's illegal oop, until it isn’t :), Weekly Updates, Smut, There is
LIGHT Azulaang in this
Language: English
Series: Part 1 of ATLA in the 1800s
Stats: Published: 2022-08-20 Updated: 2023-02-04 Chapters: 25/26 Words:
132450

To Be So Fond
by twinkletoph

Summary

Before she even became eligible for the marriage mart, Toph Beifong swore that she would
never marry, resigning to a life of spinsterhood at the age of five and twenty. Her
independence was not something she was willing to simply hand out; not when she had
fought so hard to keep it.

Remaining true to that was difficult, however, when she fancied herself in love, though that
bit was something that was still unbeknownst to her…

… because love was, to be sure, a hoax.

Notes

Hey hey! This fic has been in the works since this time last year, but it wasn’t until January
that I decided to actually work on it lol. But here she is, nonetheless, and I’m pretty proud
 of her <3 I wanted to also start by thanking both of my betas mightymeteorite and
caramiyuki for looking at this when it was a mess and putting up with my rambles.

This was inspired by the fourth book in the Bridgerton series, Romancing Mr. Bridgerton,
so there will be direct quotes and things that you may find here if you’ve read it before, so
that’s disclaimer number one for ya. I just found that a lot of elements in Penelope and
Colin’s story reminded me of Tokka, so I had to write something based on one of my otps
for my actual number one otp, idk idk

And since this takes place in 1818, there will be wonky language in this, so I’ll be including
a few links that list a few terms and phrases used back then that were used in this fic for
your convenience in the end notes of each chapter, as well as regency society rules people
had to follow.

The prologue and first chapter are now live. I hope you enjoy!

Oh, PS:
- Nǚshì=Miss
- Xiansheng=Mister

See the end of the work for more notes

 Prologue
Chapter Notes

Playlist for the fic should be attached! Hope you enjoy :)

See the end of the chapter for more notes

To Be So Fond (Tokka x Bridgerton AU) · twinkles ✨

The life of a spinster was one that Nǚshì Toph Beifong appreciated.

Despite the number of people saying that it was not A Life, per se, it was one she sought and found
pleasing; enjoyable. She did not find the appeal in wasting time on romancing a man that would
only marry her for the potential of siring an heir, or to have his way with her and cast her aside to
do as he pleased with what was once hers.

There was no need to be put out on the marriage mart each summer to begrudgingly find a man to
marry when she could make fine company for herself.

Toph could not have cared less about societal requirements, but her parents made it their life.
Though they were not at the very top of the societal ranks, Marquis Lao Beifong and Marchioness
Poppy Beifong were certainly of prominence across the four nations. And they never let Toph
forget that she was to be married off at some point during the height of any given social season.

The social season alludes to the time of year—usually summer—when the wealthy families would
gather for balls, dinner soirées, and other high-profile and fancy events. The most coveted
invitations went to the most opulent estates belonging to the nobility across the four nations, where
no expense was spared in hosting. Some such families owned rural estates, but they traveled to
their exquisite Gaoling manors for a few months to immerse themselves in the social season each
year.

Oh, how she despised the summer from the moment she reached marriageable age. Toph was
forced to endure most of her fruitless seasons on the market with the same amount of suitors as the
amount of respect most women of the ton had for themselves—zero. And despite how sad it might
have looked for her to not have had serious suitors often, something that was her own fault for all
but shoving those she attracted away, she was rather proud of herself for remaining a spinster for so
long considering how most of the women her age were married off by their first few seasons.

Toph was not as easily enticed, however, and was much less what men desired, which was just
how she liked and kept it. It made things easier for her when it came to remaining unmarried.

And it was much simpler to blame those things than to admit that she found a way to sabotage each
of her matches with a snide remark or sour attitude toward her potential suitors.

Still, many men found her quite attractive and she despised it so. She spent a lot of her time
throughout gatherings dodging men and hiding behind her friends to avoid dances and pursuits
when she was able to help it.

Living life as a spinster was, in truth, a much, much more suitable option in comparison to what
marriage could bring.

She also thought that she would rather die a spinster than marry a man for whom she did not hold
affections.

At the start of her first season, just when Toph reached the age of eighteen, her mother sat her
down and told her about how she and her father came together. In not so many words, Poppy had
said that it was merely a business arrangement between her and Lao, nothing more, nothing less.
They had learned how to love each other as years passed and they made it work for the sake of
their daughter.

Her parents loved her—she was quite aware of that due to how much they worried about her to the
point where she would want them to stop smothering her—but it was not as if they had a choice.
Toph was their only child and she was born into a business arrangement —there had to be some
kind of resentment held toward her from one or both of her parents. And she was okay with it
because… what choice did she have, really?

Clearly, they could not see how she was able to take care of herself considering how they would all
but push her out into the marriage mart every single season without caring to ask her what she
thought. They also did not care for any reservations she had about marriage or wanting to live her
life the way she pleased because it was all about appearances to them.

They much less cared about how every eligible suitor seemed to overlook her presence because
they had learned that it was most wise to not waste their time with the Beifong woman who
resigned herself to spinsterhood at the age of five and twenty.

It had been nearly eight years since she debuted and she still had not managed to wed. That had to
have been some kind of record. If it was, her parents certainly did not appreciate that she held the
title for it.

Toph was, by all accounts, quite lucky that her parents had not grown tired of seeing her lurk their
estate. She wondered constantly why and how she had not been pushed into a marriage just yet.
Knowing her parents, they would have married her off in a minute, but it was evident that no man
of the ton met the respectable requirements her parents sought. And for that—for the subpar male
selection of Gaoling—she was unfathomably appreciative.

Considering how long she had been on the shelf, her parents would be content with the gentleman
who asked for her hand to have a mere title or be in line for one.

Toph was also incredibly self-sufficient for a woman living in Regency, yet her parents refused to
see as much. At the age of five, Toph had noticed that she was able to earthbend, having excitedly
shown her parents what she could do. She knew that she was talented from the very moment she
made a swarm of pebbles float telekinetically, and even more so when she discovered that she was
also able to use her bending as an alternative to sight. Her parents, unimpressed and somewhat
frightened by her clear aptitude for bending, told her that—in addition to it being publicly illegal
with some caveats—the act was unwomanly and that no husband would desire such a wife.

Because that was clearly what would keep the men away; definitely not her own plotting to keep
them away. Never that.

She was happy that they were being kept away, at any rate.
Still, she would have to unhappily trot over to any and all of the balls, events, and garden
luncheons her parents demanded she went to. After Toph’s fourth or fifth season, however, her
mother stopped accompanying her to balls and festivities if she did not see fit to go, and Toph was
happy to stand along with the mamas and other spinsters. She would no longer be shoved into the
arms of random men by her mother or forced to partake in dances unless her friends went out of
their way to make sure she did. There were also unfortunate times in which she would be asked out
to dance by an eligible gentleman or two and she knew it was improper to deny them a dance.

Society and its rules were something to keep in mind, unfortunately.

When Toph did have the misfortune of having a few names written on her dance card, the most
deplorable part of it all was that she had to listen to men talk about bloody nothing. They had the
privilege to study and attend university and they had nothing of interest to share with her. They
spoke of incredible idiocies, such as what they desired in a woman or how long they would prefer
to court her before asking for her hand.

Conversations with men in society were a monumental waste of her time, she concluded rather
quickly.

That is until she heard of something known as the Earth Rumble series from one of the men she
was conversing with once at a ball during her third season. The acts of fighting and public bending
—with some exceptions including rule—was illegal itself, so an underground event tailored for
benders, specifically those of her kind, to be in existence made it doubly illegal. It piqued her
interest more than anything else she had ever heard at a ball and she innocently asked for more
information.

To say that the idea of the event made Toph overjoyed was a great minimization, so she brought
along her reluctant close friend Sokka Naitok—first-born child of Viscount Hakoda of the
Southern Water Tribe—to help her survey the tournament.

After ten or so minutes of observing the fights in the underground arena, a traveling-cloak-donning
Toph turned to Sokka and said, “I am more than certain that I would defeat them all and gain the
championship title within an hour. Perhaps even in half the hour.”

“Mm, I am not certain you can vanquish them all in one go, Toph,” he had told her in a whisper,
his hands behind his back. “They are all qualified benders who have been participating in this
tournament for much, much longer than you will have by the time you sign up.”

Toph had glared in his direction and nodded her head toward the ground to lift a pebble and direct
it toward his forehead. She had smiled when she heard him quietly hiss. “You would wage against
me, then? Is that what you are telling me?”

“I would never, no, no. All bets on you, always,” he had said, rubbing the sore spot above his
brow. “I am merely suggesting that you take time to practice. This does not seem like an amateur
affair.”

“I have been practicing since I discovered I was able to bend,” Toph retorted with conviction. The
cave by her home was filled with creatures who knew the art better than any human—save for
herself, of course—and she was fortunate that they were amiable enough to teach her the ways of
the art. “Why practice anymore?”

He tipped his head in a non-verbal response as if to give her the benefit of the doubt and she raised
a brow smugly. Then, he said, “You should benefit from a disguise of some sort if you go through
with this because it is illegal in a legion of ways to name but one reason. This could very well get
you into serious trouble and I should not like to see it happen when it does.”

“The legal parameters do not worry me,” Toph replied without hesitation, crossing her arms over
her chest. “And about the disguise bit of your protest, you may be correct, in which case I find that
you must have your sister acquire one for me. I would assume that she has the access to the
wardrobe of her choice considering her newfound status.”

At that point, it had been about a year since Sokka’s sister Katara and Lord Zuko Qin married.

Zuko was a capital-R Rake in every way that mattered. The man was the talk of the ton on all
occasions and he relished in the number of times his name was mentioned in every gossip rag
available. He simply would not and could not find a woman to settle him down.

Until he met Katara.

The two could not tolerate each other since they had met, but their union turned out to be
inevitable. To make an eternal story short, Katara had spent time making invalid assumptions about
Zuko based on whatever the ton gossip column included about the fire lord’s rakish behaviors upon
his first arrival to Gaoling one season. She would always complain to Toph or Sokka or their
mutual friends, Suki and Aang, about such claims. And despite all of them telling Katara that she
should refrain from listening to gossip because there was more than what met the eye with Zuko,
she did not listen… Right up until he began courting her when she was about twenty-three years
old. It had been during Katara’s fifth season, just saving her from being pushed onto the shelf.

Katara was, of course, reluctant, but her father told her that she should give him a chance, so she
did. And the rest was history. They were a love match and everyone across the four nations envied
them.

Even Toph, though she would never admit to such an assertion. An assertion that had not even
crossed her mind until much later in her life.

At that moment in the arena, Toph recalled that Katara had access to all kinds of fabrics and
dresses and attires. And better yet, her personal modiste had no way of contacting Toph’s parents
to let them know that she was scheming.

Sokka scoffed at her comment. “You seem to have all of the answers, do you not?”

“I always do. This is something that should not be new to you, Xiansheng Sokka. We have known
each other for how long?”

“Too long to count, frankly.”

“In all earnestness, Sokka, if you do not speak with your sister, I shall, but it would take days for
her to reply to my letter while you visit her quite often. You speaking with her would hasten my
entry to the tournament and the disguise would be ready by the time she and Zuko return to
Gaoling for the season,” Toph reasoned in a hushed tone. What she said was true, as Katara had
skipped that season in Gaoling since she was still becoming acclimated to her new title and role.
By the time Toph’s letter reached the Fire Nation, it might be too late for Toph to compete,
whereas Sokka traveled frequently and was due a visit to his sister soon. “I never ask you for
anything like this, you know it.”

A beat of contemplative silence. “I shall think about helping you if you assure me that you will
split the winnings from all matches in which you are victorious,” Sokka said finally, a tone in his
voice that suggested that he was merely teasing.
“Firstly, I will be victorious in all of my matches. And secondly, pray tell, why should I ever split
my winnings with you if you do not need them?”

“You do not need the prize either, Nǚshì, so what harm does it do you?” he retorted, then bumped
her arm with his elbow.

Toph shook her head, a bright smile on her face. “We have a deal.”

“As I said,” Sokka added, a more serious tone to his voice. “I may jest, but I should not like to see
you suffer the consequences of your actions if you are caught, so I do hope that you do not keep
this ruse for long, Toph.”

She only rolled her eyes, an action that would be otherwise looked down upon in the presence of
other marriageable men. Not Sokka, never Sokka.

And so it was a week after that when her streak of sneaking around began.

For about three or so years—maybe more—Toph had been competing in those illegal underground
bending tournaments. They were something she always looked forward to because she got to do
what she loved to do with minimal fear of apprehension. She was also able to use the Rumble as a
way to get away from society, if only for a few hours.

And because of the unlawfulness of the affair along with societal expectations, no one of the ton —
especially her parents—could ever know that she competed in such tournaments. Toph hid her
identity with the disguise Katara had so hesitantly secured and delivered for her. It was a dark
green number with a tight hood, mask, and kangkeng from what she was told. The fire lady had
assured Toph that her face was concealed, and that was good enough for her.

This was not to say that her friends were on board with her feat. They constantly reminded her of
the dangers that came with competing in the Earth Rumble V—especially Sokka, who had been
the only one who had shown her support at first. They said that they were only trying to look out
for her, which she appreciated, but Spirits… It was quite bothersome.

She was great at what she did and could only ever hope that people came to accept that she was not
as prim and proper as she let on.

Fighting in those tournaments gave her the opportunity to forget about marriage, forget about what
her parents wanted and expected from her. She was able to pretend that she was free to do as she
pleased, even while living in polite society. Soon, however, she would leave it, she decided,
because there were other things she wanted to do, to experience.

The Rumble was growing dull, anyhow, and she figured that she needed a change of pace.

Her parents—and any parent whose child participated in the marriage mart—were only focused on
securing a union for them, and therefore, safeguarding their fortune and/or bloodline. It was all Lao
and Poppy spoke about when the subject came up, at least, so what else was she supposed to
believe?

They had been waiting long enough for her to wed and she was both surprised and thankful that
they had not made it so just yet. It was only a matter of time for them to come up with an excuse to
get her married off. Only one misstep on Toph’s part and all they would need to arrange it was a
willing man and a special license, both of which they were able to obtain in the blink of an eye.
They were, in a warped way, allowing her some freedom.

The very last thing Toph wanted was to marry. Her independence was not something she was
 willing to simply hand out; not when she had fought so hard to keep it.

But, good Spirits, remaining true to that was difficult when she fancied herself in love, though that
bit was something that was still unbeknownst to her…

… because love was, to be sure, a hoax.

Chapter End Notes

- References to regency-era vocab: https://www.georgette-heyer.com/slang.html

https://www.thrillist.com/lifestyle/nation/1800s-insults-slang-from-the-victorian-era

- Rules high society citizens had to abide by during the social season:
http://theatrekimberly.com/portfolio/sense-and-sensibility/manners-in-regency-
england/
https://byuprideandprejudice.wordpress.com/2014/01/28/courtship-and-marriage-in-
the-regency-period/
https://jasna.org/publications-2/persuasions-online/vol36no1/bailey/
https://vanessariley.com/blog/2021/11/22/women-and-money-in-the-regency/

Find me on Tumblr!
 Chapter 1
Chapter Notes

Sokka will be making a physical appearance in the next chapter, hold tight lol

See the end of the chapter for more notes

April 1818

The start of the social season was upon the four nations, and Toph was none the happier than the
previous plenty she had participated in. She lay in her bed with her head sandwiched between two
pillows, attempting to block out the sounds of the bustling ton outside. It was beyond her how so
many people could be excited about the prospect of marriage and being put on the market as
though they were horses to be bought.

Women very well could have been exactly that considering the fact that families had a dowry to
present to husbands prior to marriage. A bribe with which a woman’s family retained the interest of
a man with intentions.

Absurd.

The muffled sound of a knock on her door found its way into her ears and she softly groaned at her
lady’s maid’s chipper attitude as she practically skipped into her bedchamber.

“Nǚshì Toph,” Fen sing-songed as she pulled Toph’s duvet off her body and the pillow off her
head. “Time to wake!”

“Unfortunately, Fen, I already have awoken, and you are not making the venture any less
unfortunate right now.”

Fen paused. “Mm, have you awoken? I would not be able to tell.”

“Why do I ever put up with you?”

“Because I am the only normal one in this household.”

Toph sat up, rubbing her eyes with the heels of her palms. “Ah, in that you are correct.”

Fen and Toph had a close relationship, especially for what lady’s maids and mistresses were meant
to share. The woman, a mere ten years Toph’s senior, had been at her side from before she was
able to remember and she had literally watched her mistress grow up. Fen also bore witness to the
many breakdowns Toph had regarding her parents and their need to marry her off. To say that there
was a great deal of confidence between them was a grave minimization.

“Come on, then. We must have you ready for breakfast in the next hour,” Fen said opening up the
door to Toph’s washroom. “I have already drawn you a bath.”

Not without a much louder groan than her previous, Toph unceremoniously stood up and dragged
her feet toward her washroom to be cleaned. At a very leisurely pace, she undressed and sunk into
the tub, submerging herself completely and remaining underwater for a considerable amount of
time. It was not until Fen pulled her head up and out of the water that she even remembered that she
was to be getting ready. Toph shut her eyes and huffed miserably as she began to wash herself.

The last thing she wanted to do was prepare for a tense breakfast with her parents and an inevitable
promenade with Zuko. It was something of a routine already: waking up, promenading for suitors
who paid her no heed and vice versa, returning home to prepare for another ball or event she did
not care for, and sometimes, running off after dark for her tournaments.

Toph had just recently passed the peak age to marry, which was anywhere between twenty-four
and twenty-nine; she was twenty-five. But despite the fact that Toph was still unmarried at her age,
her parents simply refused to accept that their daughter was likely never going to walk down the
aisle and was content in not doing so.

Still, each year, she had to throw herself into the social season, regardless of her wishes, in order to
keep her parents at bay.

It was exhausting, to say the least.

Before she was able to think herself into a hole, Fen broke her out of her thoughts by asking her to
exit the metal tub. She complied, stepping into the embrace of the towel she knew Fen was holding
out for her.

Fen began brushing out Toph’s soaking hair and let her hands gently rest upon the woman’s
shoulders after sitting her down. “Are you alright, Nǚshì Toph? I attempted to call your attention a
few times. I was beginning to think you had fallen asleep.”

“Oh, if you must know, I was daydreaming about how I may finally create a sinkhole to swallow
me whole today,” Toph replied as her hair was done up in her usual large bun. “I am debating on
whether or not I should create it in the square. What are your thoughts?”

“Perhaps creating it there might create some commotion.”

Toph smiled wickedly. “The square it is, then.”

The two women laughed and Fen continued to get her ready. In no time, her hair was done and her
face was minimally made up.

“Do I truly need to wear this damned corset this morning?”

Her lady’s maid giggled at her language, and Toph felt her walk over to her wardrobe to grab a
half-corset and a dress that she cared not to examine. Without being asked, Toph walked up to her,
disrobed, and let Fen tighten the garment around her torso. She could feel the edges of the corset
digging into her shoulder blades and she bit her lip to keep herself from hissing. After years of
being forced to put the abominations on, she was still not used to the discomfort.

Moments later, when she slipped into her dress and argued with Fen about whether or not she
should wear shoes—they settled on a soleless compromise—there was a knock on her door and an
overly-excited grown woman entered her room.

“Sokka’s back!”

Toph threw herself onto her bed and turned her head toward Katara as Fen excused herself from the
bedroom to give the friends privacy.

As per usual, her best friend had not been announced. The Beifongs’ staff were so used to seeing
Katara pop in and out of the house during the summer that they did not see fit to announce her
arrivals any longer. And her visits had become more frequent a bit before the season began as she
and Zuko had moved into their home in Gaoling for the duration of it just as Hakoda and his wife
did.

“Is he?” Toph asked, cheeks only a bit ablaze as she tried to feign indifference at what Katara
called news. “I had not been made aware.”

Toph was, of course, lying through her teeth; she had known for a while that Sokka had returned
from his tour. The two of them had been exchanging letters—which was a bit of a risk for ruin
considering how it was thought a lack of decorum for a bachelor to correspond with an unmarried
woman (but Toph cared not; her parents never read her letters, and the house staff was careful,
knowing that the two were friendly)—for the year or so that he had been traveling. His most recent
letter said that he was to be arriving in Gaoling within the week.

Sokka had always loved traveling and his one true desire was to visit every corner of the four
nations by the time he reached thirty—he was aged twenty-eight.

Despite her happiness for him, she had to admit to herself that she was slightly envious. He, as a
man, had all the freedom to do as he pleased, to come and go as he wished whenever he wished
without questions. Toph—and all other women—had never been afforded such liberties. It angered
her to no end.

She was, still, quite happy that Sokka was out, living his dream. Not many people were able to do
so, despite their status.

“Indeed,” Katara said, taking a seat next to Toph. “Something about him is different. Perhaps it
was all the sun he caught.”

“His last stop was the Eastern Air Temple recently, yes?”

Katara shook her head with a small laugh. “Western. Spent enough time there to pick up on all of
the culture. I was very surprised indeed to see that he still had hair on his head rather than none at
all.”

“Shame, that. Aang will have been given a great competition.”

The women guffawed, and Toph found herself thinking about how lucky she was to have Katara to
call one of her dearest friends. The two had been close since much before Toph’s very first season,
at her ripe age of thirteen and Katara’s age of fifteen. Many women of their age went through their
lives without a close female friend, and Toph was lucky enough to have Katara. It was a blessing to
her to have someone to whom she could tell anything. Or almost anything, anyway.

And of course, there were many places in which they clashed in terms of beliefs and mentality,
especially the rigid rules of society, but they were the closest, nevertheless. It was a delicate
balance that they kept well enough.

“Father asked him if he planned on remaining in town for the rest of the season,” Katara said,
making Toph’s ears perk up. “And he was just, goodness, so terribly evasive, but I beg you to
reckon what I did.”

Toph pretended to ponder upon her words, tapping a finger against her chin. Then, she sarcastically
gasped. “Do not tell me you pestered the man.”

“That is exactly what I did, dear friend. And for a good result, too, as he actually admitted that he
will stay for at least a few more months. Perhaps, even, through the rest of the season! He made
me promise not to tell Father or Malina, though, the goof.”

Toph found herself slightly bothered by the prospect of him staying around. “That seems quite
thoughtless of him to do, halting his travels for so long, considering how your father and your
stepmother will want to see him married off. The two of them will redouble their efforts to have
him find and declare his intentions for someone. I should think that is the thing he wants most to
avoid.”

“It does seem like his usual aim in life, to remain a bachelor,” Katara commented with a shrug.
“But he also needs to settle down eventually. Sokka would make a woman very happy one day.”

“I am quite sure.”

They both fell silent a moment—a truly rare occurrence, indeed—and then Katara jumped to her
feet with a sharp inhale. “I must go.”

Katara’s abruptness made Toph snicker. People who did not know Toph and Katara well assumed
they had a propensity of suddenly diverting from the subject at hand, but they knew each other far
better than that. When each of them had her heart set on something, they could not let go of it. This
meant that if Katara suddenly decided to go, she had planned on it from the moment she arrived.

As if on cue, Katara spoke again. “Sokka and I are expected to have tea at Father and Malina’s
home, so I must pay them a visit.” Toph smiled to herself. She loved being right. “You should
come, Toph.”

She shook her head quickly. “No, Sokka shall want it to be only family.”

“You say that as if you were not already considered such, but I suppose you are correct,” Katara
relented. “Very well, then, I must be off. Terribly sorry to cut my visit short, but I wanted to share
the news of Sokka’s return with you directly.”

“Noted.”

Toph stood to see Katara out as she approached the door and had sarcasm laced in her voice when
she said, “I will be back later this week and we can promenade for suitors for you to shoo off for
sport. I am quite sure you will have the time of your life.”

“Oh, yes,” Toph replied with false enthusiasm. “Mother has been speaking of my supposed old age
with alarming frequency, so a promenade will be so very fitting.”

Katara winced. “Should she think you are becoming too old to bear children?”

“Exactly.”

“Oh, dear.”

“A much milder expletive than had crossed my mind, quite frankly.”

“Toph!”

“I do love my mother, I promise.”

Katara patted Toph’s shoulder lovingly. “I know you do, you need not convince me of that much—
oh ! Lady Beifong! Good day to you!”
Toph had noticed her mother coming from afar, but she was unable to warn Katara of that much
without her mother noticing.

“Lady Katara,” Poppy said pompously. “I did not realize you were here this morning.”

“Came in like a mouse, I suppose,” Katara smiled politely, though Toph knew that she was a bit
irritated by her mother’s tone. Toph was, too. “But I shall be off now to meet my brother.”

“He has returned, then, has he? You and your family must be overjoyed.”

“Indeed.”

“And I suppose the viscountess has already begun working out any eligible matches for Sokka,
yes? If I were her, I would want to get him married off to someone as soon as possible. It is exactly
what I want for my Toph as it stands, so I would not blame her.”

Toph bit her tongue so as to not cuss her mother out in front of her friend, and Katara discreetly
squeezed her hand before saying, “Mhm, she has drawn up a list of potential wives and
everything.”

“Superb!” Poppy exclaimed with a clap of her hands. Then, she burst out in laughter, placing a
gentle hand on Toph’s cheek for a moment and dropping it. “Perhaps Malina shall put you on
Sokka’s list and we may finally get you married!”

As Poppy laughed herself out, Katara and Toph remained stoic, neither of them finding the joke
amusing. It made Toph rather uncomfortable, actually.

Katara cleared her throat awkwardly. “Er, well, I best be off, then. Sokka is expected at Father’s
for tea, and I, of course, am not going to be the sibling who is late to the affair.”

“Do enjoy yourself, my lady,” Poppy said, already walking out of the bedroom. “I suppose I
should be taking my leave as well considering how I have some errands to run. I shall see you and
your family at Sun-Yi House this evening, then.”

Katara watched as Poppy disappeared into the other side of the house. “Spirits, she really is a lot, is
she not?”

“You have no idea.”

“And it seems like you have been roped into attending tonight’s ball.”

“So it does.”

“Cheer up, friend,” Katara said, nudging Toph’s arm with her elbow. “Pay her no heed. Besides,
Zuko should be on his way over here for your walk, you should be able to get out for a bit this
afternoon.”

“Is he not attending tea with your family then?”

Katara shook her head. “He said he already had plans with you, and I was not going to object.”

Toph sighed, knowing the reason he was coming over. Zuko always made time to visit her for two
reasons: 1) to see her and 2) to interrogate her about why she had resigned to a life of spinsterhood
at such a young age. Weekly, he would travel over to her home, and weekly, she had to expect him
to be at her doorstep to take her for a walk around the square for a conversation. Regardless,
however, she enjoyed being able to fraternize with him. Despite his high status, he was fun to be
around.

It was also much better to be berated by Zuko than by her parents in matters of marriage. But that
did not mean that he was berating her any less.

“Your husband is a pain in my ass.”

“Toph!”

“What? I know your ears have heard worse obscenities in your lifetime,” Toph reasoned with a
shrug. “And your husband warrants such a label. Fire Lord Zuko: Pain-In-My-Ass. It sounds
perfectly agreeable.”

“You know what sounds agreeable? You marrying.”

Toph’s face fell comically. “Did you not need to go to the viscount’s house?”

“I’m leaving, I’m leaving!”

And she left.

The rest of the morning consisted of a tense breakfast with her parents with very blatant small talk
—something of a tradition for the family. Toph wanted nothing more than to stand and exit the
room, but she knew that it was the wrong thing to do.

They had asked her what she was going to be doing throughout the day and Toph told them that she
would not be doing much other than taking a stroll with Zuko. Her parents thought that it was a
fantastic idea as being seen on the arm of the fire lord would increase her chances of capturing the
attention of suitors. Her mother also said that it was still a shame that Katara had acted quicker
when it came to getting Zuko off the market.

At that, Toph gripped her metal cutlery so tightly that she curved it.

Much to her luck, she was able to finish up her meal quickly enough to excuse herself from the
table and scurry up to her room to prepare for her outing.

Immediately, Fen collected her afternoon dress and assisted Toph in slipping it on. She groaned
inwardly when she was told to sit down in order to redo her hair as there was many a strand out of
place.

Toph ran her hand down the fabric of her dress as Fen worked on her hair. It was silk, she realized,
and the texture was soothing. Convenient, taking into account how much self-soothing she would
have to do when Zuko arrived to collect her.

And when he finally did after thirty minutes past the hour, Toph was already waiting for him in her
house’s ground floor drawing room.

One of the Beifong family footmen, Bingwen, walked into the room, announcing, “Fire Lord Zuko
for Nǚshì Toph.”

Toph simply nodded and made a gesture at him with her hand to let her friend into the room as Fen
took a place in a corner to remain there as a chaperone.

Because why, oh, why would a woman ever be seen alone with a man in private if not for romantic
or sexual intent?

She and Zuko had known each other for as long as she could remember and he was the only man
her parents had not shoved directly into her face simply because he expressly told her parents that
he showed no interest in her, nor she in him. They had met the year Toph debuted and he had been
the first gentleman to ask her for a dance. Her mother had all but pushed the pencil into his hands
for him to jot his name down on her dance card.

“I do not wish to be here,” he had told her as soon as the music for the allemande played. “And you
seem to feel the same way I do.”

Toph had attempted to not react to his admission, but she ended up snorting as he spun her. “Was it
that obvious?”

“To anyone who did not feel the same as you or I, not at all.”

It had been the beginning of a most beautiful friendship.

The only reason Toph’s parents had not actually insisted upon a union after they met was that Zuko
was of a slightly higher societal rank and, because of this, there were women being shoved into his
face constantly at the time. Lao and Poppy did not find that Toph should have had to compete for
his affections and she could not be more grateful for that fact.

Besides, even if circumstances had been different, she would never be with Zuko. So, so many
levels of wrong.

“Fire Lord Zuko,” Toph said, a leg hanging off the armrest of the settee she was sitting on. “Fancy
seeing you here.”

“Considering your lack of sight, I beg to differ, ma’am,” he bowed his head toward her
respectfully.

She rolled her eyes at the joke and gesture. “Would you stop that? You know well that you need
not do that when it is just us.”

He waved a hand at her in dismissal and took a seat next to her. Then, he asked, “How are you,
Toph?”

“Splendid, thank you for asking,” she responded, kicking her feet up onto the coffee table in front
of them. Toph was all aware of how improperly she was acting, but it was unwarranted for her to
put on impressions in front of anyone she loved—other than her parents, of course—and Zuko was
like a brother to her. One that she never wanted but still loved, nevertheless. “I would ask how you
are doing, my lord, but I am not a fan of small talk, so shall we get to the true reason for your
visit?”

Zuko cleared his throat to cover up a laugh. “Fine, then. As much as I appreciate you not being
married just yet, you are five and twenty; I think you should start taking this seriously.”

Toph scoffed, a dramatic hand to her chest. “Are you calling me old, Lord Zuko? I beg to differ.”

“You must understand where I am coming from, Toph. I do not want you confined to spinsterhood
for the rest of your life. That is no way to live.”

“While I understand you, Sparky, you must understand that I much rather be confined to
spinsterhood than be confined to a marriage that I do not believe in.”
He clamped his mouth shut after that and changed the subject because somewhere deep down, he
knew that what she said held merit. What was more was that Toph did not really see a need for her
to marry if it was not to serve as a birth giver. Her parents were a perfect example of why she
sought to avoid it at all costs. And even if she did wish to wed—which she did not—she would
want it to be for love and she knew that this was near impossible.

As Zuko spoke about his week with Katara and their attempts at starting a family, Bingwen
reentered the room. He said, “A letter for Nǚshì Toph.”

Her heartbeat accelerated.

“Give it here,” instructed Zuko before she could say anything, and she felt her face burn up. She
could hear the sound of the envelope parchment crinkle in his hand as he pulled out the folded
quarto sheet. “A letter from my brother-in-law. How interesting, considering how it is a breach of
propriety for a bachelor to write to an eligible, unmarried gentlewoman. Scandalous, in fact.”

“You can drop the implication in your tone, Zuko, as that is all it is: a letter,” Toph defended. “I
am sure that he is merely writing to tell me that he is officially in town after his tour and for the
season. That is all. Nothing scandalous about that.”

He snickered, then referred to the letter. “May I? I fear I may find something salacious within the
prose now that you mention it.”

“Just read me the bloody letter, Sparky.”

“That is no way for a lady to be speaking—”

“Tread lightly, my lord.”

Zuko exaggeratedly cleared his throat and began reading, “‘Dearest Toph,

“‘I do hope this letter finds you—and whoever is reading it, which I am willing to bet my father’s
ledgers that it is Nǚshì Fen, well. As you may have already heard from my sister, who very likely
already visited Beifong House as she is not in our E.K home this morning, I have found my way
back home.

“‘But I am writing to you currently because I am happy to say that I will make it to your
tournament tonight, despite my reservations. Someone needs to be there to act as an alibi in case
you are arrested and I suppose that I am to take on the burden.

“‘I do hope you do not get too excited; I know you miss me. Not to worry, however, because I miss
you just as well.

“‘I look forward to seeing you soon.

“'Warmest regards, Sokka,” Zuko finished emphatically. His voice has a hint of smugness and
Toph wanted nothing more than to tell him to stop it, but she remained silent. “Sokka should never
bet on anything—he has just lost his father’s books with this one since it was not your maid who
read the letter.”

“Only because you do not know how to keep your nose in your own business.”

Ignoring her jab, Zuko folded the letter back into its envelope. “So he misses you, it seems, hm?”

Toph huffed, adjusting her skirts as she brought her feet to the ground again. “Just as he might
miss, say, his own sister. Sokka missing me says nothing of importance, Zuko.”

“But it is of importance to you. Tell me I’m wrong.”

“Why of course, you are not. I miss all of my friends when I do not get to constantly be around
them,” she said, standing up from her seat and walking toward the door. “Actually, you might be
the exception. I am growing quite tired of you.”

“Oh, you wound me,” Zuko gasped, making Toph laugh. Then, he handed the letter off to Fen and
joined Toph in exiting the room. With Toph’s bonnet secure, the two, along with Fen and Zuko’s
valet, took their leave from Beifong House. He spoke again once they began their walk toward the
square.

“So Earth Rumble.”

“What of it?”

“Still doing it, eh?”

She nodded once. “Yes. And again I ask… what of it?”

“No, nothing,” he replied indifferently, offering his arm for her to take as they walked. “I just
wonder how you are going to continue doing this without getting caught. Your jig may be up soon
if you are not cautious, not to mention that you may get into serious trouble.”

“Well,” Toph said, rolling her eyes as she looped her arm through his, “my jig, as you call it, will
be up after tonight’s championship.”

Zuko gaped at her. “Surely, you jest. You are done with the Rumble?”

“Indeed,” she lied. She figured she would benefit from stepping away from the contests, but not
completely. Perhaps she would make one or two appearances every once in a blue moon. Besides,
she had other, better plans. “Do you find that you are hard of hearing now, my lord? Should you
need me to call for a doctor?”

“I do not, thank you very much.”

“I beg to differ.”

“I am quite shocked at this revelation, Toph,” he said, returning to the subject at hand. “I did not
think you to be one to take any kind of advice.”

Toph shrugged. “You live and grow, I suppose. Now… I would very much like to get our
promenade over with.”

“You say ‘promenade’ as if it were some disease.”

“And it very well should be, but I must keep up with appearances, must I not?”

The friends shared a laugh, walking in a comfortable silence toward the fountain in the middle of
the town square. There was a small cart selling ices and Zuko purchased a small cup for each of
them—including Fen and his valet—before they took a seat.

Similar to Toph, Zuko was very personable with his help; he treated them as though they were
family, mostly because they helped raise him after his mother died. The former lord fell ill late into
his rule and had been bedridden for as long as Toph could remember until he finally died and Zuko
ascended from second-in-line to lord of a nation within seconds. His uncle, Iroh, had been next in
line, but he was more comfortable without the title attached to his name.

And Toph respected that. She loved Iroh and she reminded herself that she had to make time to pay
him a visit soon. She was likely to bump into him eventually since he owned a townhome of his
own that he would lodge in during the social season.

Zuko also had a sister—two, actually. Kiyi and Azula. The latter left society years prior, and the
last time they had all interacted in person was for Zuko and Katara’s wedding a half a decade or so
prior. And surprisingly, they—Zuko and Azula—kept in touch still. Toph admired her for getting
out when she could; she was honestly smarter than any other woman of the ton, that was for
certain.

Kiyi, on the other hand, regularly visited Zuko, but lived with a distant cousin in the country, near
the Fire Nation colonies. She did not frequent Gaoling during the social season, but she always
made sure to visit.

With a sigh as she ate her ice, Toph noted that the day was warm, not scorchingly hot—just the
way she preferred it—so she tipped her head toward the sun, slightly pushing her bonnet back, to
feel the heat against her face.

There were many people abuzz in the square, she could practically feel their excitement in the way
they walked. The ton was never as active as it was during the social season and this was only true
because people were enthused to begin a courtship or a dozen, any of which would end in a
wedding or a scandal.

Breaking the silence between them, Zuko suddenly said, “You should come to tonight’s ball at
Sun-Yi House. It would benefit you to… get out.”

“I am out.”

“You know what I mean, you chit.”

She inelegantly snorted at the insult, then said, “Ah, I would love to, but I cannot. Same time as the
Earth Rumble. I simply am not able to afford to miss it. My last one and all.”

Zuko scoffed. “We both know that is a lie. Have you forgotten that I have been to your
tournaments? They do not start until after midnight, and the ball will practically be over well
before then.”

She shrugged at him. “It was worth an attempt.”

“Do not jest,” Zuko nudged her with his elbow. “I promise I shall save you a dance.”

“A dance? With a married man?” Toph asked mockingly. “Whatever will the ton think?”

“Will you please come along? You know that Sun-Yi parties always produce gossip and I imagine
that you would not want to miss any happenings.”

Toph raised an eyebrow at that. She could always sacrifice her night for a good scandal. The last
time the Sun-Yis hosted a ball, the incomparable of the season was caught half-nude with a baron’s
mouth on her breast. Of course, Toph had sensed that this had been happening some feet away
from them in one of the many rooms of the large house and she told her friends this much. The six
of them—Zuko, Aang, Katara, Sokka, Suki, and herself—wagered on how long it would take for
the couple to be discovered. Toph was pleased to say that she had won the bet when the
incomparable’s mother’s screech echoed through the house a few moments later.

“You make a great argument, my lord,” she said finally. “It is not as if my parents had intended for
me to stay home, so I will, of course, have to be there.”

She could feel Zuko buzzing with excitement. “I was afraid I was going to have to beg you to come
along.”

“That would have been a wonderful experience, I am sure.”

He was silent for a few more seconds, then asked, “Are you… truly done with the Rumble?”

Toph sighed. She had been growing tired of the monotony of the Earth Rumble. Year after year
after year of the very same thing. And there was also the fact that there had been a frightening
number of arrests made after Rumble newcomers were caught by guards mid-competition. She was
not about to risk being jailed—simply going to the competition tonight was risky. So she decided
she would scale back on appearances. After all, Toph only used the Rumble as a means to vent, so
she figured it would be a safer bet to slow her participation.

And she also did not believe that she could ever fully retire—it was the best way for her to channel
her rage and it reminded her of the freedom she so sought.

It was also not very ideal for her to be arrested at a match any time soon.

In the meantime, however, Toph began to think about what else she was able to do to keep herself
busy. The Rumble served as her one way to get out of her house for a bit and vent out her
frustrations, so if she had nothing to do in her off time, she was sure to go mad.

While discussing such matters with Fen just before the beginning of the social season, Toph
brought up teaching in jest.

Her lady’s maid excitedly grabbed hold of her knee and said, “Metalbending!”

“Pardon?”

“A metalbending academy!” Fen had whispered excitedly some weeks prior. “You are the only
metalbender I know around these parts—and perhaps even around the world. Do you know how
amazing it would be for you to teach earthbenders who are capable?”

Toph laughed. “Are you mad? I cannot teach people how to bend metal. I will end up ejecting
them back where they came from or farther! I have no forbearance for that, Fen.”

“I believe you have it in you. This would also be a way… to take a stand against the government’s
banning of elemental bending,” Fen had offered. “A cause that, I shall remind you, you hold quite
dear.”

She had thought about that for a moment. Knowing herself to be one of the most impatient people
in the history of the world, she did not believe that she would be able to manage to be an educator
of all things. But as she sat in front of Fen, her fingers working on bending a rock at her will, she
figured that she was capable of making a difference—even if it was minuscule.

Toph finally nodded. “I shall… I shall think about it.”

And thought about it she did, as Fen did not allow her to think of anything else. Ultimately, Toph
decided that it was an endeavor worth pursuing.
There were many moving parts to the scheme as there was a matter of finding a location and
students, but she had Fen to help her.

She considered telling her friends but opted against it. They would most definitely give her grief,
calling her reckless and telling her that she was not thinking about her safety. She did not need the
negativity, so she decided to keep it all to herself.

All in all and in true honesty, she was not lying—she was through with the Earth Rumble… just
not entirely.

“What I am, truly, is appalled that you require me to repeat myself.”

With skepticism, Zuko said, “Well, I am happy to hear that you have taken our advice.”

Toph just nodded and ate the final spoonfuls of her ice, setting the small cup and utensil aside. She
leaned against the back of her chair, eyes closed, exposing her face to the sun again. She could not
help but savor the fresh smell of the wind and the still-there feeling of the chill from the ice in her
mouth. But she felt a nervous heartbeat come close to her and her eyes sluggishly opened.

She groaned to herself, knowing that whoever was nearing her table was going to attempt to speak
with her—it was something in the way that he approached her and in the way his heart hammered
against the ground. Zuko snapped to attention at the sound she had made and it took him a moment
to realize what was happening until he snickered.

“Ah,” a man cleared his throat bashfully. “Fire Lord Zuko.”

“Xiansheng Satoru. It is truly a surprise to see you again.”

Toph resisted the urge she had of making a face at Zuko. Did he know this man?

Almost as if he had read her mind, Zuko said, “Nǚshì Toph, this is Xiansheng Satoru of Cranefish.
We met about a fortnight ago at the gentlemen’s club. He is quite new to Gaoling. And Xiansheng,
this is Nǚshì Toph Beifong.”

The man’s heartbeat accelerated so much more that she thought he might have a heart attack right
in front of her. “It is quite a pleasure, ma’am. My uncle is close friends with your papa and he told
me that I should endeavor to seek you out. I am only lucky that Fire Lord Zuko was here to make
the introduction this afternoon.”

Toph resisted the urge to roll her eyes at the mention of her father. Of course the man had found a
way to etch a bachelor into her life somehow. Lao was not as obvious and forceful as Poppy when
it came to matters of courting and marriage, but he did make his discreet attempts at setting Toph
up with anyone he deemed suitable.

After she neglected to respond to his explanation, there was an uncomfortable silence and Toph
raised an eyebrow in question. “Charmed, but you did not come here to simply be introduced to
me, did you?”

“Not exactly, ma’am,” he said, trying to keep his voice even. “I wished to ask you to kindly save
the first space on your dance card for me this evening at the Sun-Yi ball.”

Toph took a bit of pity on the man—Xiansheng Satoru. He certainly sounded kind and fairly shy—
something that many other men in society were not. Capturing the attention of suitors had been
something she had attempted to avoid as she was genuinely not interested in marriage and giving
into pursuits was not something she wanted to do. It was not what she wanted.
 Despite herself, however, Toph gave a curt nod. What would be the damage? Especially when she
desired to not marry—she could always use the company of a new friend when all was said and
done. “Perhaps I can spare one reel.”

“Oh— that is— yes. I— wonderful!” Satoru exclaimed. “I shall see you tonight.”

“I shall not.”

A pause. “I am so sorry—”

“Should you not take your leave, Xiansheng Satoru, before you say anything else you may want to
take back?” Zuko asked as Toph held back a laugh. She could feel Xiansheng Satoru’s nerves
beneath her feet and it was becoming increasingly hard to maintain a sober expression.

Satoru nodded once at that, then he said his goodbyes, leaving her and Zuko to their devices. The
two burst out laughing as soon as the man was out of earshot.

“Perhaps we should take our own leave,” Zuko said, wiping away a tear. “As much as I would like
to see you married off before you turn thirty, I do not believe that you wish to endure another
pursuit such as that one.”

She stood up immediately. “In that, my lord, you are absolutely correct.”

Chapter End Notes

- References to regency-era vocab: https://www.georgette-heyer.com/slang.html

https://www.thrillist.com/lifestyle/nation/1800s-insults-slang-from-the-victorian-era

- Rules high society citizens had to abide by during the social season:
http://theatrekimberly.com/portfolio/sense-and-sensibility/manners-in-regency-
england/
https://byuprideandprejudice.wordpress.com/2014/01/28/courtship-and-marriage-in-
the-regency-period/
https://jasna.org/publications-2/persuasions-online/vol36no1/bailey/
https://vanessariley.com/blog/2021/11/22/women-and-money-in-the-regency/

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 Chapter 2
Chapter Notes

thank you all for receiving this fic so well so far. i'm glad that those who are reading
are liking it :)

quick thing for the kiyi-antis lol: she's literally only mentioned in this fic two more
times—like, she doesn't even speak—for no important reasons in chapter 5. so don't
sweat it lmao

based on that, i'm also aware i might get ~attacked~ over the inclusion of Malina in
this, but it's been done for a reason and i think y'all will like this portrayal of her so do
give her a chance <3

everything in this fic happens for a reason, i promise.

enjoy!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Despite what many, many people thought about spinsterhood, Toph thought it to have the best
perks. The word itself—spinster—brought with it panic and unsettlement, but to her, that was quite
far from the truth.

A woman remaining unmarried at her age or older meant that very few people would want to pay
her any heed. Gone were the days when Toph’s parents accompanied her to balls—unless they
themselves desired to make an appearance—and forced her to hover at the corner of the dance floor
to await gentlemen to fill her dance card. And despite her parents sometimes accompanying her to
balls, they cared not what she did because interest in spinsters was fleeting, and that was just how
Toph favored it.

With being a spinster also came the lessening of time spent participating in dull conversation and
feigning interest—though there came times when she could not even pretend she was interested.
Poppy still held out hope that Toph would entertain a man someday, but—thankfully—she had
finally stopped shoving her in front of every first- to third-tier eligible bachelor she could run into
last season.

Not only that but Toph was now able to simply enjoy eating at any given event without being told
to not do so. To her, it was ridiculous how women were expected to not eat more than a frog
squirrel’s weight in a public setting or when accompanied by men. She deserved to eat as much as
anyone and being a spinster afforded her such previously intangible liberties.

And, oh, the liberties she was about to take with the stuffed apple pastry she held in front of her
mouth, enjoying the cinnamony smell it exuded. Following her less than impressive dance with
Satoru and the other Zuko roped her into, Toph found herself famished. So, with very little
ceremony, she bit into the dessert.

Oh, to be a spinster by choice!

“My goodness,” Toph moaned quietly, savoring the taste of the desert. She could not remember the
last time she had had such a mouthwatering pastry. Perhaps, she would have to ask the Sun-Yis
whether they were willing to pass along the name of their chef. Poaching staff was looked down
upon, but she would have to break a rule or two on that front for the sake of having this pastry
whenever she pleased.

“That good, is it?”

Toph’s lips twitched as she swallowed the dessert. She had not realized that someone had
approached her as she was having her not-so-secret rendezvous with her pastry. Unashamedly, she
coughed, gave a half-hearted curtsy, and tried to keep a smile off her face. “Sokka.”

“Toph,” he said, humor evident in his tone. “It is nice to see you again after so long.”

“Aha, well, I myself have never seen you, so I can only surmise what a delight that must be.”

“Oh, most definitely, though it is a shame that you cannot see the dazzling picture of the man who
stands before you.”

Toph furrowed her brows, dabbing at her mouth with a napkin. “Dazzling? I cannot imagine
where.”

Sokka laughed quite loudly, garnering the attention of a small group near them, and Toph could
not help but smirk at his reaction to her comment. “You have not changed one bit, have you?”

“You honestly expected me to have? Especially in the span of… a year?”

“No. I suppose not,” he responded taking a step toward her and discreetly giving her arm a tender
pinch. “How are you?”

Using the hand occupied by the pastry, Toph tugged on one of her gloves as it slid down her arm.
The cursed things were silk and they would always find a way to annoy her when she wore them.
“I am well. As you know, the life of a woman in society has many interesting wonders, but I could
not possibly bore you with them all, could I? How are you?”

“As well as one can be after traveling the world and returning to… this. No offense.”

“None taken. That is absolutely reasonable.” Toph snorted. She knew how much Sokka disliked
the social season. So many desperate debutantes and marriage-minded mamas were shoved into his
face that he barely had a chance to enjoy Gaoling. And his stepmother did not help one bit as she
was the one who did the shoving. All with good intentions, but Toph could tell that Sokka did not
relish in it.

Clearing her throat to recompose herself, Toph said, “I imagine your father and stepmother were a
puddle when you returned.”

“Do not even get me started,” he said tiredly. “Malina nearly fainted when she saw me.”

“I would not have expected any less, she missed you,” Toph replied honestly, knowing how much
his stepmother longed to see him. “Well, everyone did.”

After having met the family, Toph gathered quickly how close they all were. Malina, even only
being their stepmother, treated Katara and Sokka as if they were her own. Katara had once told
Toph that Hakoda had a hard time coping following their mother’s death many years ago, but then
he met Malina, who brought the light back to his life. And the siblings also held her in the highest
regard.

Sokka sighed. “Oh, please do not guilt me. I have already gotten the talk from Katara and Zuko,
not to mention both of my parents. Do not tell me that I must add you, my dearest friend, to that
list.”

“No need to warn, alas, it is none of my business.” She raised her hands up in defense, one of them
still clutching her pastry; a bit of the filling splattered onto the ground and landed with a squelch.
She rolled her eyes at the sound of Sokka attempting—but failing—to hold back his laughs. “Look
at what you have done; made me waste a perfectly good pastry.”

Sokka offered his hand to her. “Since your dessert is now history, do me the honor of granting me
your first dance of the evening?”

“Ah, well it seems as though you were doubly beaten for that honor, Xiansheng,” Toph replied. “I
have already had enough turns on the dance floor.”

She ignored the way his heartbeat picked up at that as he said, “Oh. You have danced already,
then?”

“Indeed. With an untitled Cranefish man,” Toph said, remembering her dance with the first in line
for the title of marquis. Satoru spent less time with his feet on the ground than on her feet as he
was stepping on them every other move, though he did manage to be interested in what she had to
say rather than endeavoring to sell himself. He actually cared about what she told him, which was a
pleasant surprise. He had also mentioned that he would call on her the next morning, which did not
seem to bother her as much as she figured it would. It helped that she would likely not have to deal
with her parents much while she entertained her caller. “I danced with Zuko as well. It was all very
nice.”

“Well, you know what is not nice?”

“I could not begin to imagine.”

Sokka leaned toward her, close enough that she could feel his breath on her cheek when he spoke.
“A lady refusing a dance with a gentleman. It is considered improper in a ballroom, I shall have
you know.”

Toph did not exactly want to dance with Sokka. She knew that he and Aang and even Zuko would
ask her to dance because she was barely ever seen on the floor since her second, maybe third
season out. It was not precisely a pity dance because she herself did not want to be asked, but it was
one that they felt like they had to save for her because they believed that it was the proper thing to
do. In all earnestness, she cared not for being led and spun around the dance floor, but it was nice
that they cared to look after her, she supposed.

She still did not feel like dancing again.

“Since when do I care about what is proper or improper in a ballroom?” Toph brought a dramatic
hand up to her chest, just above her heart. “Spirits, Sokka, were you truly gone for so long that you
are unable to remember the qualities of someone you claim to be your dearest friend? I am not sure
whether I should be offended.”

Sokka tapped his finger against his chin in mock pondering before saying, “I must have been. My
word, who are you again?”

“Ah, that must explain it. Allow me to jog your memory about my aversion to the dance floor. I do
not want to dance, and I do not want to dance with you, especially when you feel like it is your duty
to do so.”

“That is not— I mean to say that—” Sokka cleared his throat. “That is not why I danced with you.”

She rolled her eyes. “I know that you are lying to me, Sokka.”

“I am not.”

“You do not need to dance with me because you believe that you have to or to prove that you do
not mind doing it,” she argued with a raised brow, knowing full well that she was getting under his
skin. She knew that it vexed him whenever she would refuse a dance with him; a proper lady
should never refuse a dance with an eligible gentleman if she was unmarried. And he very well
knew that despite Toph’s unmarried status, she paid no heed to the rules, especially when it came
to him.

She also liked to poke and prod him as much as she could; he got ticked off very quickly, which
she supposed should have concerned her a bit but did not. It was especially fun.

“But I want to dance with you.”

“And I do not want to dance. End of story.”

He remained silent for a few seconds, even taking a pastry of his own from the table beside him
and devouring it in two bites. Sokka ate anything in sight as though it was his last meal, and she
understood him—she was the same way. She envied how no one had ever before questioned his
appetite.

After he finished his second pastry and washed it down with lemonade, Sokka sighed
exasperatedly. “Shall we, then?”

Toph bit her cheek to keep from laughing at his attitude, but nevertheless rolled her eyes and
obliged, taking the arm he had offered to her. “Very well. It would surely be churlish of me to
refuse after you have asked so nicely.”

“It was probably churlish of you to doubt my intentions, but I am willing to forgive you if you
forgive yourself,” he said, and almost immediately tripped over his own feet, attracting the looks of
many people in the ballroom.

Toph had to try incredibly hard to keep herself composed as they made their way to the dance floor
because the strong urge she had of laughing aloud was overwhelming. “It is truly a wonder that you
are considered an eligible bachelor in this society.”

“I cannot stand you.”

“Clearly, you cannot stand, period, as you have just proven with your tumble,” Toph said, taking
hold of his hand and giving a curtsy as the music started.

Not even seconds later, the two began dancing the minuet, the music too loud for them to have a
proper conversation. This gave her time to focus on the dance steps in order to not make a fool of
herself in front of most of the ton. Despite her not really caring for appearances, Toph genuinely
did not want people commenting on how her blindness affected her every move; she had done quite
a bit to disprove that notion since her societal debut.

She grimaced at the thought. Her parents had given her enough pity and overprotection to last a
lifetime—she did not need it from everyone else.

The next time they stepped toward each other, Sokka asked over the sound of the music, “Are you
quite well?”

A few seconds passed before they were close enough for her to give him her reply. “I beg your
pardon?”

“You look as though you have swallowed something vile,” he replied loudly, likely impatient over
the fact that too much time was passing between their closeness for them to have a proper
conversation.

Toph pursed her lips because she was sure that many more people heard Sokka’s observation than
she would have liked and choked out a laugh. A few people on the dance floor with them inched
away from her as though she would truly be sick right then and there.

Just then, the music came to an end and as she curtsied again, Toph shook her head at him. “You
are the most imbecilic person I have ever had the misfortune of knowing.”

“Oh, you do flatter me with your compliments, ma’am,” Sokka said, bending into a bow of his
own and offering his arm out to her. “I do not know where I would be without them.”

Toph smiled in his direction. “Probably bored out of your wits.”

“Do not flatter yourself. I should think I would survive,” Sokka replied, giving her a very discreet
shove in jest as he guided her off the dance floor. “And I believe that you now owe me a ‘thank
you’ for the dance.”

“I owe you no such thing, but I will give it to you regardless because I am a well-bred woman of
polite society.”

Sokka snorted. “Barely.”

Just as she was about to give him the largest insult of the century, her feet picked up on the nearing
heartbeat of a woman that neither he nor she could tolerate for too long—Nǚshì Ty Lee. She was
the daughter of one of the pretentious earls of the Fire Nation and also the most overly enthusiastic
woman that either of them had met. It was not that Ty Lee was a bad person, she was just… too
much.

Toph chose not to reply to Sokka until he took notice of the woman approaching. He leaned over to
her and whispered a quick, “Could you not have warned me?”

“And miss out on your suffering?” she answered innocently, a wicked smirk countering her
innocent tone. “I would never. But I am afraid I must go now; I hear someone calling for me.”

“I will purchase a week’s supply of that foot salve you like so much if you do not leave my side.”

She thought about it for a second. She did like her foot salve. Her smile widened. “Make it a month
and we are in agreement.”

“Done”

As soon as he replied, Ty Lee finally made her way to them and curtsied enthusiastically.
“Xiansheng Sokka—how lovely to see you again!”
Toph bit down on her cheek to keep from bursting into laughter in front of the woman. The lengths
some women would go to get a man’s attention. Pointedly, she said, “Good evening to you, too,
Nǚshì Ty Lee.”

Sokka coughed to cover up a laugh of his own at Toph’s interjection while Ty Lee dramatically
gasped. “I am so sorry, Nǚshì Toph. I did not see you there.”

The jab was not missed by Toph. “Aw, neither did I. No trouble, really.”

As though she had not heard the retort, Ty Lee turned her attention back to Sokka. This time, Toph
did not resist the urge to roll her eyes. Ty Lee said, “I was beginning to think that you had fallen off
the face of the Earth!”

“Aha, I am starting to think that perhaps that was a better option for tonight, dropping off the face
of the Earth,” Sokka said, a smile plastered on his face. “It is always such a pleasure to see you,
Nǚshì Ty Lee.”

Ty Lee giggled— giggled! —and took one more step toward Sokka as he took one in retreat. “I do
not suppose you have a moment for a dance. It would seem that I have one more space on my
dance card saved just for you.”

It was as though Sokka had been praying for divine intervention in order for him to not outright
deny Ty Lee her dance because the voice of an overexcited earl called for them. “Nǚshì Beifong,
Sokka!”

Before Aang reached them, Sokka politely excused himself, offered Toph his arm, and they
walked off to meet Aang. Toph laughed. “Great timing.”

“Remind me to thank him later.”

Aang—the Earl of Patola—strode over to him with a dreadfully tired Nǚshì Suki on his arm. It
seemed as though he had been dragging the poor woman around against her will.

“Nǚshì Toph, my goodness. It is great to see you tonight—I did not think you would make it. And
Sokka!” Aang exclaimed, giving the man he was greeting a slap on the back in greeting. “It is
wonderful to see you after so long, my friend. How were your travels?”

As the men submerged themselves in conversation, Suki let go of Aang in favor of Toph as soon as
she was able to drag her feet in her direction. The woman leaned into Toph’s ear. “I am exhausted
.”

“Hm, are you sure? You seem lively as ever.”

“You are quite unfunny,” Suki replied with a jab of her elbow into Toph’s side. “I had been
sleeping somewhere in this massive house—the library, I think—and Aang found me and he just—
he woke me! I swear that I have not slept properly in days and this man just decides to interrupt my
slumber. Truly, it was a better way to spend my night asleep in some room than waiting to accept
dances in which I do not want to partake from eager gentlemen… if you could even call those men
gentle .”

Toph tipped her head to indicate her agreement. Suki tended to view the marriage market and
marriage in general just as Toph did, which is one of the reasons why the two of them got on so
well. They met during Toph’s third season out because Suki lived with her parents down south in
Kyoshi and despite her eligibility for marriage, they never cared to relocate to Gaoling until they
moved into their permanent residence there. Toph was one-and-twenty then and was already being
called a spinster by many, whilst Suki was three years her senior and already living that life
without a care in the world. They made each other’s acquaintance at the pastry table at one of the
Beifong balls that year.

“The audacity of him!” Toph quietly exclaimed, a mocking smile on her face. “What I would like
to know is why you are so weary in the first place.”

Suki straightened herself out and let out a sheepish laugh. “My father, the dear, might have found
me advanced copies of some books I have been looking into, and I might have been unable to fall
asleep… They were truly amazing reads.”

This did not surprise Toph as she, Suki, and Katara were all quite intelligent. In fact, if she had to
pick three women in the ton who would do incredibly well at a university should they have the
opportunity to attend, Toph would choose the three of them. They each spent quite a bit of time
reading (or having books read to them), discussing writings, or working on their musical crafts.
Toph was quite well-versed on the pianoforte, as was Katara, while Suki was masterful on the
flute.

Suki was also a skilled fighter—much like Toph was herself. And Katara was as well what with
her waterbending. They would occasionally find time to escape to the depths of the woods for a
friendly spar; only on occasion because Katara would always remind them of the risks.

“And here I thought you were embroiled in scandal,” she responded after a few seconds, a raised
eyebrow. “Shame. No juicy gossip tonight.”

“Toph!” Suki exclaimed though she was laughing in the meantime. “You are the worst.”

Toph laughed along. “So I have heard.”

“What are the two of you laughing about?” Sokka asked, interest laced in his tone.

Aang sipped on a cup of lemonade when he said, “Do not bother, they will not tell you. Women
and their gossip, always a mystery.”

Toph shook her head immediately. “No, no, we can tell you. We were simply speaking of how Ty
Lee and Sokka would make the match of the season if they so chose to marry. Is that not correct,
Suki?”

“Mhm, definitely. A most handsome couple, indeed.”

“Oh,” Aang laughed. “Should you think she missed you after all this time, Sokka? I thought she
might have been over her little crush on you.”

Suki chuckled. “Do you not mean infatuation?”

Sokka shot a look at them, which only made them all laugh harder, then he huffed. “How was I
supposed to know she had not been married off already? I came here believing that I was free to
walk about without being attacked by someone I have shared nary two dances with in the past.”

“Apparently,” said Zuko, joining the group quite suddenly with Katara on his arm, “she has
convinced herself that you are courting her and that you have been for several years. She has said
so quite often. You can also see the affection she holds for you in her countenance whenever she is
near you or whenever someone mentions you in conversation. I believe that she may be in love
with you, even.”
“I— I beg your pardon? In— what ?”

Everyone in the group managed a laugh. Toph was the first to recover to say, “Quite the love
match, indeed. You might be able to take a page or two from your sister’s book if you ask for Ty
Lee’s hand.”

“He could never,” Katara said, pressing a kiss to her husband’s jaw. Toph and Sokka groaned.

Zuko sheepishly cleared his throat. “So, Toph—”

“Here we go…” she mumbled.

“—after our dance, I was left wondering how yours with Xiansheng Satoru went this evening. You
did masterfully at avoiding my questions during the quadrille. He seemed quite taken by you
during our promenade, and even tonight on the dance floor.”

“Xiansheng Satoru, hmm?” Katara asked, practically skipping over to Toph and Suki. “A suitor,
perhaps?”

Toph rolled her eyes, reaching to the table nearby for a cube of cheese, and popping it into her
mouth. “He is barely a suitor. He simply came up to your husband and me to introduce himself and
to make me promise I saved my first dance for him. And with that kind of conviction, who am I to
refuse?”

“It is not like you could have refused him anyway,” Suki said bitterly, then put on her best bon ton
impression. “You must never deny an eligible gentleman a dance; it is most unwomanly.”

“Mm, that too,” Toph said, fiddling with her glove once again. “He was not the worst partner I
have had the misfortune of dancing with. He did make intellectual conversation—which was the
first for me with any gentleman of the ton —but it seemed as though his nerves got the better of
him as he consistently stepped on my feet. That bit was quite obnoxious.”

“ I never step on your feet,” Sokka muttered, making the whole group turn their attention to him.
Uncomfortable under the stares, he shrugged. “I never do!”

Aang clapped his back. “I believe no one did ask, dear friend.”

A round of laughs went around at Sokka’s expense before he roughly cleared his throat and asked,
“So, uh, are you considering this Satoru fellow?”

Toph furrowed her brows. “Why would I consider him? He is not even courting me, Sokka .”

“It is a valid question, Toph .”

“Your immaturity is baffling, brother,” Katara interjected, irritation evident in her voice. “It is a
wonder how Toph has not yet sent you to hell after all these years of you accosting her.”

Sokka tsked. “This matter is between me and Toph. No one invited you to this conversation,
sister.”

Before Katara could beat her brother in front of the entire ton, Toph reached over and pinched the
skin on Sokka’s collarbone, making him hiss.

Katara giggled at the action along with the rest of the group. Then, she poked at Toph’s bicep. “So
this Satoru gentleman… Is he going to call on you in the morning?”
“That is what he said, yes.”

Suki swatted her arm. “And you did not think to tell us? How unmannerly, Nǚshì Beifong!”

“Because it is not a big fuss, surely. If anything, he will make a grand addition to this friend
group,” Toph replied with another eye roll. “I am not interested in being courted or what comes
with it.”

Zuko, who had been quite silent for the majority of the conversation he started, said, “That is what
you say now, but when the right person comes about, we will be running to the chapel with a
special license because you will not be able to keep your hands off each other. Mark my words.”

Katara immediately gave her husband a shove. “We are in the presence of ladies, Zuko! Do not
speak so salaciously.”

“I agree; that is enough of that,” Sokka said, a sour tone to his voice. Then, he cleared his throat. “I
believe we have a lot of catching up to do. Tell me of what I have missed; surely, there has been a
lot.”

For a while longer, the friends caught up, finally having a chance to be all together for the first
time since Sokka left for his tour the year before. It was refreshing to be in the group’s presence
once again because the five of them were the people Toph truly enjoyed being around and she was
lucky to have those kinds of attachments. No marriage could ever provide what a solid friendship
did and she was thankful indeed to have hers in her life.

As they were listening to one of Sokka’s tales about his adventures in the Western Air Temple,
during which Aang was absolutely enthralled, the Sun-Yi ball was loudly interrupted by the Bow
Street Runners bursting into the residence giving everyone—save for Toph, who felt them in the
distance—a fright.

One of the seven men who invaded the ball yelled out, “Master Xin Fu—does a Master Xin Fu find
himself at this ball?”

“Toph, uh, is that not the man who hosts the Rumble?” Zuko asked quietly.

Toph’s eyes widened indiscreetly. “The very same.”

Xin Fu was the Earth Rumble master of ceremonies—he promoted, funded, and developed the
underground tournaments—and it seemed as though they finally trapped him. The man was the
valet of the son of a noble family native to the Earth Kingdom and was a complete back-biter if she
ever met one; a right asswipe. He was so inconsiderate toward his fighters and would only hand
over their rightful winnings and titles when told to do so. He was a scammer and a cheat.

Even so, however, Toph was not happy about his impending arrest as illegal bending was going to
become more frightening to some. It might even mean that the following Rumble in the series
would not come to fruition.

Another officer walked away with two others to search the west side of the house where,
effectively, they found Xin Fu hiding away in the kitchens of the Sun-Yi residence. Seconds later,
he was being escorted out of the home with his wrists and ankles shackled, but not without him
screaming and shouting about how they had the wrong fellow.

Katara was the first to speak after the arrest was made. “Are you not glad that tonight was meant to
be your last run, Toph?”
 For the first time in her life, Toph was utterly speechless, so she simply nodded, lips parted. She
had not thought that he would actually get caught. It was to her knowledge that the competitors and
Xin Fu himself were being cautious about the Rumble, but she supposed that it had gone on long
enough for an investigation to be opened.

“Sun-Yi balls truly are never short of drama,” Suki muttered.

It was not until Sokka spoke that she realized that he had managed to slip his hand into her gloved
one. “You were quitting the Rumble?”

Thankfully, Zuko responded on her behalf because she was still struggling to find her words. He
quietly said, “Tonight was going to be her last time participating in it.”

Sokka turned back to her and gave her hand a squeeze. “Are you well?”

“Quite. The man was a gem, that is for certain,” Toph replied in an attempt to sound at ease,
though a sense of fear lingered in the pit of her stomach. Another bout of anxiety hit her when she
thought of what would happen if she began her metalbending training sessions and got caught for
doing so. She cleared her throat and closed her fingers around a cup of lemonade that sat on the
table beside her using her free hand. “Please continue telling us about your rakish endeavors
through the Western Air Temple, Sokka. I am sure that you were a true gentleman throughout the
length of your tour.”

She could feel the burning glare he sent her way as he dropped her hand like an angered schoolboy
and the rest of the group laughed.

As they all resumed their storytelling and insult exchanging that they missed out on throughout the
off-season and Sokka’s absence, Toph could not help the growing fear for her endeavors that
settled in her gut.

The fear was not going to stop her, however.

It could not. Not if she was going to do what she wanted to do.

Chapter End Notes

- References to regency-era vocab: https://www.georgette-heyer.com/slang.html

https://www.thrillist.com/lifestyle/nation/1800s-insults-slang-from-the-victorian-era

- Rules high society citizens had to abide by during the social season:
http://theatrekimberly.com/portfolio/sense-and-sensibility/manners-in-regency-
england/
https://byuprideandprejudice.wordpress.com/2014/01/28/courtship-and-marriage-in-
the-regency-period/
https://jasna.org/publications-2/persuasions-online/vol36no1/bailey/
https://vanessariley.com/blog/2021/11/22/women-and-money-in-the-regency/

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 Chapter 3
Chapter Notes

Nothing like some Gaang fun and oblivious flirting with a side of a promenade with
Satoru :)

Enjoy!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

It was early—quite early—when Toph was urgently shaken awake by both her mother and Fen.
She grabbed the pillow nearest to her, pressed her face into it, and groaned loudly. Rather
forcefully, Poppy Beifong fought to remove the pillow from her daughter’s face and succeeded.

“You have a caller for once. A caller that is not Lord Zuko or the viscount’s son or the earl or the
women you are acquainted with…” Poppy listed bitterly. Then, she added in a mumble, “Not that
Lady Katara ever calls on you, but rather forces herself into this dwelling…”

Toph sat up, removing the pillow from her face as she did. “I— a caller?”

Poppy huffed impatiently, tapping her foot on the ground. “Yes, Toph, a gentleman caller. A
young Satoru fellow told the footman that your father and his uncle are well-acquainted.”

Right, Satoru. She sighed, having momentarily forgotten that he had promised to call on her in the
morning; he had not mentioned that he would be so damn early, however. What was it? But nine?
She had barely gotten any sleep until the break of dawn only to be awoken by her excited mother
over the arrival of a caller.

Following the events of the Sun-Yi ball the night before, Toph had not been able to rest easy. The
experience of Xin Fu being apprehended was enough to bring about the deepest feeling of distress.
She had been aware of the risks and the threats against the Earth Rumble series before, but the
previous night had brought them all to the light and Toph was unable to dismiss the new sense of
reluctance and fear the events brought with them.

“Allow me an hour to ready myself and I shall be down to entertain my caller,” Toph finally said,
her lips pressed into a thin line as soon as she finished speaking.

“An hour, my dear? That is more time than I would rather keep your guest waiting for you. It is a
proper miracle that you have not yet frightened him into begging off.”

“It is what I said. If he is truly interested, he will remain sitting in wait,” she replied, hoping that he
actually did grow impatient and leave as she kicked off her blankets and stood from the bed. She
held out her hand to Fen in order to maintain her feigned helplessness in front of her mama. “I will
be down in an hour, Mother.”

An intolerant huff. “Very well,” then Poppy turned to Fen. “See to it that she is ready before the
hour is up.”

“Yes, my lady.”
When Poppy finally left the room, Toph slumped against one of the columns of her canopy bed and
grunted in exasperation as Fen covered up a giggle with a cough. “She is such a—”

“Lovely woman? I agree,” Fen interrupted before Toph could say something obscene about her
mother. “Now, now. We must not dally because your first caller in two years is patiently waiting in
the downstairs drawing room.”

“Do not jest. It has not been two years.” Or had it? Surely she could not have avoided a caller for
two years without being questioned. As much as she hated being called upon by suitors, she knew
it had to be done every once in a while so as to placate her parents and the eyes of the ton.

“You are correct—it has possibly been more.”

Toph walked up to Fen and sent one of the small rocks on her mantle flying at her shoulder, then
continued walking toward her washroom where a full tub awaited. “What a nuisance you are.”

Fen laughed, replaced the rock on Toph’s mantle, and scurried after her to give her a hand. “But
you adore me, so I will continue being one until you give me the boot, which by my estimations,
will be never.”

“Quite true, unfortunately,” Toph replied, sliding into the tub and making quick work of bathing
and getting ready for her caller. “I fear that I have no idea how to function in this household
without you.”

Her lady’s maid laughed and assisted Toph as she readied herself.

She did not feel nervous, not in the slightest, but there was something about getting to know
someone—or a gentleman caller, rather—from scratch that unnerved her. Toph was able to snuff
out people’s intentions quite quickly due to how perceptive she was, so that was not the issue.
Truthfully, she did not know what it was that troubled her, exactly. Something about understanding
that the person in front of her had intentions of courting her and potentially marrying, possibly.

Once in her morning dress and soleless slippers, Fen pinned up Toph’s hair and applied a thin layer
of powder and rouge much to Toph’s dismay. She took a deep breath and groaned before leaving
her chambers and descending to the drawing room where she could already feel the nervous
heartbeat of the man she had met the day before as he made polite conversation with her mother.

“Ah, my darling daughter!” Poppy exclaimed, standing up to move to another corner of the room.
“I have already rung for food because I know that you have not yet broken your fast, dearest. I shall
remain here as a chaperone, but of course, I am but a fly on the wall.”

Toph resisted the strong urge she had of groaning for the second time that morning and turned
toward her suitor for a curtsy. A bit dryly, she greeted him, haphazardly offering her hand for him
to take. “Good day, Xiansheng Satoru.”

“Nǚshì Beifong,” he bowed, taking her hand and brushing his lips upon the fabric of her glove. “It
is a pleasure to see you again this morning.”

“I would imagine it is.”

Satoru dropped her hand and cleared his throat. “My apologies, ma’am.”

“None to be uttered, sir,” Toph replied, gesturing to the settee to her left. It was then that two
footmen arrived with the food and she nodded once toward them with a small smile in silent
appreciation.
The two of them sat down immediately after and before she could say anything else, Satoru pulled
something out of his breast pocket—it was a stone—and her interest was instantly piqued. He
cleared his throat for a second time and wiped his free hand off his pants. “After our conversation
yesterday, during our dance, I recalled that you have a fascination with rocks and rock collecting,
so I took the liberty of searching my uncle’s own stone collection for a double and came upon an
agate… If I may?”

It was rare that Toph was rendered speechless, but at that moment, she was unable to formulate a
mere word. During their dance, Satoru asked her about any hobbies she had and Toph had
mentioned in passing that she had a fascination with rocks and stones. In fact, she told him, she had
a collection of the rarest ones she was gifted or those she came upon displayed on the mantle of the
fireplace in her bedchamber. However, she neglected to mention that she adored rocks and all
things earth mainly because of her bending style. She never dreamed that he would have retained a
word from what she told him, so she was quite impressed, indeed.

Wordlessly, Toph offered her hand out to him, palm-side up, and allowed him to gently place the
stone there. She mumbled a ‘pardon me’ before she slowly removed the glove from her right hand
and placed the rock on her bare palm, running her thumb across the smooth surface and the rugged
edges with fixation. For his benefit only, Toph angled her face in his direction, slid the glove back
onto her hand, and fisted the rock.

“Thank you,” she replied. “This means a great deal. It shall make the most perfect addition to my
collection.”

Satoru let out a deep breath. “I am quite glad about that fact, ma’am.”

The smell of the food at her side made her stomach rumble and she quickly grabbed a napkin, and
a small sandwich, and nibbled on it. In reality, she wanted nothing more than to devour the whole
tray, but alas, there was company.

There was a bit of silence after then, and Toph heard her mother more than obviously clear her
throat as a signal for her daughter to fill the silence with conversation.

Fly on the wall, my ass.

“What, uh, are your plans for the day, sir?” Toph asked pathetically after she swallowed the final
bite of her sandwich, her agate clutched tightly in her hand. She had never been one for small talk
and she hated when she was forced into participating in it. “I imagine that my home is not the only
stop you intended on making.”

“Actually, I was hoping that if you were feeling well enough to do so this morning, we might
promenade about the park? Only if you fancy doing so, of course. And since you have not broken
your fast as of yet, I find it most prudent for us to stop at the tea shop for a proper meal, should you
accept.”

Dash it all. The absolute last thing she wanted to do was go out this morning.

Poppy obnoxiously cleared her throat again, adjusting herself in her seat at the other corner of the
room. Toph bit on her tongue to avoid saying or doing something she would regret in front of
company and forced a small smile upon her lips. “How could I ever refuse an offer from a
gentleman such as yourself?”

“Capital!” he exclaimed, leaning to the food platter and plucking a cube of cheese off it,
immediately popping it into his mouth. “I shall allow you to get ready, in that case, and will wait
for you by my carriage outside.”

Toph nodded once and stood up as he left the room and prepared his carriage. As soon as he left,
she slumped and rubbed a hand down her face. Poppy rushed over to her excitedly and called over
Fen. “We must get you ready for the morning with Xiansheng Satoru. He is most promising,
according to your father. And judging from the conversation that I had with the young man whilst
waiting for you to join him, I concur!”

“All right, Mother,” Toph almost grumbled, dragging her feet back toward the staircase. “Put the
wedding bells away; you know I do not wish to wed and I most certainly will not do so unless
compromised— which I will not be.” Because I would beat his ass if he does anything untoward,
she wanted to add but instead bit her tongue.

Poppy sighed. “Dearest, you know you must get married, especially to protect our estate, our
fortune, too, as we do not want that dreadful uncle of yours going anywhere near it. He will not be
protecting it as much as he would be spending it, to be sure.

“And marriage will allow you to bring heirs into the world. Xiansheng Satoru might not have a
title, but he is respectable and at this point in time, your father and I will be happy with just that.
And it would also be quite wonderful if you would give us the pleasure of seeing our grandchildren
and for the Beifong bloodline to be kept alive in some regard through you.”

Knowing that she would tell her mother something that she would regret if she replied, Toph
simply huffed and chose to not dignify Poppy with a response. With that, Fen ushered her up the
steps to her room, slipped her into a bonnet, refreshed her makeup, and they were off. But not
before Toph carefully placed the gifted agate upon her mantle.

The carriage ride was pleasant. Satoru did not press her with incessant conversations about things
that did not matter, such as the weather as many of the men she had spoken to did. Rather, he
pointed out how different things were in Gaoling than in Cranefish and she found herself listening.

Their conversation—in which she was actually participating, much to her own surprise—continued
even after they had stopped at the eatery for their tea, during their meal, and as they promenaded
around the park. They did not find themselves in any awkward silences and Toph did not find
herself irritated at any point during the hour and thirty minutes they spent together. He had actually
managed to make her laugh a few times as much as she attempted to not do so. She was
comfortable and she was amazed that she had not despised her time with him.

“You like him,” Fen commented when they were entering the Beifong residence after Satoru had
bid her goodbye for the day. “I can tell.”

Toph rolled her eyes. “He seems like a decent man, this is true. But it does not signify.”

“Of course it does! Let yourself be swept off your feet if only once in your young life, even if it
leads to nothing.”

“I would rather not be swept off my feet. I am perfectly content on the ground where there is less of
a chance of me falling on my ass.”

Before Fen could give her a retort, Poppy scurried over to her daughter and eagerly asked about her
outing with the gentleman. Toph told her mother that she had spent a decent time with him because
if she had heard that Toph actually liked Satoru, she would have sent them off to the chapel before
he had even asked to formally court her.
The last time someone had asked to do so was when she was at the peak of marriageable age—
twenty. The courtship with the gentleman, whose name she could not remember, was short-lived,
mainly because she was trying all that she could to sabotage it. The man was overbearing and rude
and all the things Toph detested meshed into one dreadful person.

But Satoru was not dreadful; quite the opposite, actually, and had circumstances been different, she
would not mind being courted by him. Or… marrying him if it came to it. But marriage was not
what the select few couples like Katara and Zuko had. It was not an expression of love or passion;
it was a business arrangement. It was what her mother had told her it was when Toph debuted.
Marriage meant that Toph had to relinquish her liberty to the man that she was to wed.

She was not going to do that. She would not. No matter how taken she was with a man.

“At least he was a gentleman, yes?” Poppy asked and Toph responded with one nod. Her mother
gleefully clapped her hands, then said, “Lovely! I shall be expecting him to call on you once again
this week, then. Perhaps, we can have him over for a meal someday soon. This is all very
exciting.”

Toph groaned as soon as her mother disappeared into the other side of the house and turned to Fen
with her face devoid of any emotion. “I am going to commit matricide.”

“Nǚshì Toph!”

“If I do not, she will kill me first, I assure you,” Toph replied, about to retire to her bedchamber,
but was interrupted when Bingwen called her to attention.

“Good grief—what now?”

He cleared his throat. “My apologies, ma’am, but it appears as though the fire lord and lady have
invited you for—”

“Please do not say tea. I have had enough tea this morning.”

“Actually, it says on this invitation that it is about the time of the month for your game of Pai Sho
with the lord and lady along with”—Bingwen paused to read the card in his hand—“Nǚshì Suki,
the Earl of Patola, and Xiansheng Sokka.”

Toph’s lips twitched as she knew exactly what a friendly game of Pai Sho meant in their small
group. Suddenly in a much better mood, Toph nodded at her footman and asked him to prepare the
family carriage as she informed her mother and father of her plans for the rest of the day. Their
‘game of Pai Sho’ would be as long as it was able to go if it was to take place at the fire lord and
lady’s home in Gaoling.

Her parents paid her little attention, telling her to inform them if she was to be home again for
supper. When Toph told them to not wait up for her, they simply nodded, told her to keep safe, and
dismissed her.

“A game of Pai Sho, is it?” Fen asked, a smirk in her voice as they walked off in the direction of
the carriage.

Toph only smiled, slid into the carriage, and said, “Oh, you do know how much I enjoy our Pai
Sho games.”

When Toph and Katara were younger, the same year they met, the two got well-acquainted quite
quickly. Each of them discovered that they were gifted benders in their own nation’s style and they
began to spar. Eventually, Suki joined in with her fans when she moved to Gaoling, then Aang with
his airbending, then Zuko with his firebending—despite Katara’s reluctance at the time—and
Sokka did also. It was all fun and games for them during a stressful social season. It was always a
great time for them to just get competitive.

They all had mildly competitive sides to themselves. Only mild.

The ride to Qin House was about fifteen minutes and Toph slept the whole way there, groggily
waking up to Fen shaking her. With a few unpleasant grumbles, she stepped out of the carriage and
rapped on the front door, being immediately greeted by a hug from Katara rather than Lien, their
stern footman.

“How I have missed you!” Katara exclaimed as she embraced Toph, who stood tensed up in her
arms.

“It has been twelve hours at most, Sugar Queen. Contain your dramatics, will you?”

Katara pulled away from her and forcefully looped her arm through Toph’s to help her across the
hardwood floors of the home. Despite Toph’s many complaints about the floor not being blind-
earthbender-friendly, Katara and Zuko kept their floors wooden. Toph thought that it was very
selfish of them.

“Forgive me for wanting to spend every waking hour by your side,” Katara said. ”Once the season
is over, we will not be able to see each other with such frequency.”

Of course, she was right, and of course, Toph understood her completely as she felt the same way,
but she had a reputation to uphold. A reputation that portrayed her as a stoic woman who sought no
love from anyone or anything.

It could not be farther from the truth, but it was still her reputation and she would not besmirch it
by admitting that she did enjoy being loved by those she held dear.

Not wanting to let her tough exterior crack too much as she awkwardly patted Katara’s hand, Toph
asked, “Where are the others?”

“Well, Sokka has not arrived–”

“Of course.”

“—and neither has Aang.”

“Why does that not surprise me?” Toph wondered aloud as they continued their walk into the
home. Fen was right behind them and Katara quickly greeted her, telling her to make herself
comfortable where she pleased. Toph continued, “It is very probable that they went to that
gentlemen’s club they think we do not know about.”

There was a club in the very center of Gaoling in which men of a certain age were able to gather
and drink and rake about throughout the day and night. Whenever Sokka and Aang were nowhere
to be found, it was safe to assume that they were at the club. Zuko was a reformed rake, so he
knew his way around the club, and had he not told them about it after he married Katara, the girls
would not have known.

With a shrug, Katara said as she pointed Toph to the back door of her home. “You may be correct.”

The two women walked outside and toward the woods behind the house. Deep within them was
where the six friends would roughhouse and spar, blanketed in greenery, and therefore, in the
comfort of secrecy.

As they approached the center of the woods, nearing the cottage that helped conceal them, they
could hear Suki and Zuko’s grunts as they ran through their warm-up routines. Toph also picked
up on a very familiar presence and a smile immediately spread across her face.

She swatted at Katara’s arm. “You have neglected to tell me that Xiansheng Iroh was here.”

“I did not neglect to tell you,” Katara rubbed her soon-to-be bruised arm. “I may have just wanted it
to be a surprise, but I forget that you are immune to those.”

“Pity, pity. It would have been a lovely one, to be sure.”

Toph could feel Katara’s glare on her face and could not resist the bubble of laughter that made its
way up her throat. Soon enough, Katara joined in, and they were both breathless by the time they
reached Zuko and Suki, who were both hard at work.

Quickly, Toph made her way over to Iroh, not even bothering to call on him or curtsy before
wrapping her arms around him where he sat in the grass and not letting go for the longest time. He
smelled of flowers and tea leaves—a most pleasant combination of scents.

“Toph, dearest.” Iroh embraced her tightly in return. “How long has it been?”

“Far too long, I am afraid,” Toph mumbled into his shoulder, finally letting go to sit at his side.
“How are you?”

Iroh’s deep chuckle rang in her ears and she smiled and he leaned toward her. “How about I pour
you some jasmine and then I shall tell you all about my riveting life?”

“I would love nothing more, Old Man,” Toph said, patiently waiting for him to fix her a cup of tea
just the way she liked it—with a spoonful of honey, no milk, no cream.

For thirty or so minutes, Iroh spoke to Toph about his latest goings-on and she listened steadfastly
as three of her friends started on their spar. She could feel the droplets of the water Katara was
bending against her cheeks and arms, hear Suki’s fans cutting through the wind, and feel the
intense heat of the fire Zuko was bending. She felt at home.

Iroh told her about his business in Ba Sing Se and how it was thriving, and he made her promise
that she would visit more frequently postseason. Toph detested Ba Sing Se and would only go if
duty called, but she made Iroh the promise nevertheless, and she never broke her promises.

As he remarked about how tired she looked, Toph noticed that Sokka and Aang had finally arrived,
and she announced as much to her friends. Sipping the last of her tea, she excused herself from Iroh
and stood up to greet them and finally get to bending.

Before Sokka or Aang could utter a greeting, Toph dramatically coughed. “The two of you reek of
smoke and booze.”

The two men exchanged a look, but it was Sokka who first spoke. “We know not of what you
speak; alas, it must have been the wind on the walk over.”

“Your lying skills are none the better than the last time you attempted to feed me a bouncer,” Toph
said with a raised brow. “I should think you would know better than to venture to fool me at this
point in our relationship.”
“Relationship, you say?” Sokka asked her, taking a step in her direction, his arms crossed over his
chest and his head cocked.

“Friendship. I meant to say friendship .”

“Ah, however, friendship is not what you have said. You clearly said relationship. It is entirely
different.”

“A friendship is a type of relationship, I shall have you know, you halfwit.”

A beat of contemplative silence. “Touché.”

Suki grunted from the top of a tree branch. “Would the two of you cease your flirting so us ladies
may wipe the floor with the men?”

Toph gave the ground a quick stomp, sending the earth barreling toward the tree Suki was sitting
on. She smiled when she heard Suki’s grunt when she fell off the branch.

If one was unable to joke with a friend without it being misconstrued, what even was the purpose
of having them? It would be a dull life, indeed.

Aang pipped up at Sokka’s side. “Hi, Toph!”

“Twinkle Toes. I assume you are prepared to get your behind handed to you today, yes?”

“Always am!”

“Anyhoo,” Katara clapped her hands, gathering the friends into a circle. “We must be quick. Father
is meant to be making an appearance in about an hour’s time for a sit down with Zuko, and those
two fools”—she pointed at Aang and Sokka—“have made us waste enough time as it is.”

Aang and Sokka both opened their mouths to protest, but Zuko raised a hand before they could
utter any excuses. “We all know where the two of you were, so you might as well quiet down and
get in position.”

The gentlemen did as they were told, both grumbling immaturely, and the sparring match was
afoot. Iroh stood up and acted as their referee, and split the group into pairs to make the match
easier. Toph was matched up with Zuko; Aang with Suki; and Sokka with Katara.

It was a quick win for Toph as Zuko had not anticipated her moves and he ended up buried neck-
deep in the grassy ground; Toph and Iroh were unable to cease their laughter. Meanwhile, Suki
vanquished Aang in a surprising twist of fate as she went for his leg and he fell flat on his back. As
for Katara and Sokka, she beat him fair and square with the water-whipping she managed to give
him. He was all but whining about how much the lashing hurt him.

Unsurprisingly, the ladies reigned victorious as they usually did and the men demanded a rematch
with different partners. Iroh let out a deep laugh at the group’s bickering, but obliged, pairing Zuko
with Suki, Aang with Katara, and Toph with Sokka.

Toph smiled wickedly. Whenever she sparred with Sokka, he always put up a good fight, but she
was determined to beat him within the first two minutes of their spar.

Sokka approached her and threw his sword aside. Toph furrowed her brows. “No sword today?”

“No sword for me,” he said, a smile in his voice. “No bending for you.”
 “Beg pardon?”

A shrug. “I thought we should try something different… unless you fear your imminent loss.”

“Loss.” Toph scoffed, getting into a fighting stance and cracking her neck to and fro. “I only fear
for your imminent humiliation, dear friend. I would never want to hurt your most fragile state of
self-importance.”

He gave her a cynical chuckle and got into his own stance. “Call it, Iroh—someone over here
requires some humbling.”

“Says the man who is acting all high and mighty yet smells as though he has just fallen head first
into an unemptied chamber pot.”

With a loud laugh, Iroh called the beginning of the rematch, and Toph patiently waited for Sokka
to make his first move, though it did not immediately come. He knew her fighting tactics after so
many years of being friends; she waited and she listened and then she attacked. Surely, he was
convinced that if he waited long enough to make his first move, she would do so first, but little did
he know the amount of sheer patience she had.

Seemingly having lost his own patience after a bit, Sokka charged toward her and immediately
tried to sweep her leg. She avoided it by stepping to her right just when he crouched to perform the
action, and then, she landed a clean hit on his back, causing him to fall belly-first onto the grass.

Not even seconds later, he was groaning and back on his feet, more than likely glaring at the self-
satisfied smirk she was wearing. “Best two out of three.”

Toph just laughed and got back into her stance and waited for his next move. She could practically
hear him trying to figure out what to go for next until he decided that he just wanted to go directly
for the hit. His aim was focused on her midsection and so it made it easier for her to allow his
momentum to guide him beyond where she stood. Then, she simply landed a kick on the back of
his right leg, causing him to fall flat on his back.

To make the point of her win, she straddled his stomach and held a fist up at him. There were mere
inches of separation between them, she was sure, as she could vaguely feel his breath on her nose.
His hands, as if automatically, went to the side of each of her thighs.

“Safe to say I won?” Toph asked breathlessly.

He stammered, then cleared his throat to mutter, “Indeed. And evidently, so have I.”

When she heard Suki and Katara’s hollers, Toph was snapped back into focus, and she instantly
stood up, adjusting her skirts and wiping her hands off each other. Then, she offered Sokka a hand
to help him up, too.

“Thank you,” he said quietly.

She simply nodded at him and turned toward the women, who were both ecstatic that they won
another match against the boys. Meanwhile, Toph was in her head about what had just transpired
between her and Sokka.

What had just transpired between them?

Chapter End Notes

Chapter End Notes

- References to regency-era vocab: https://www.georgette-heyer.com/slang.html

https://www.thrillist.com/lifestyle/nation/1800s-insults-slang-from-the-victorian-era

- Rules high society citizens had to abide by during the social season:
http://theatrekimberly.com/portfolio/sense-and-sensibility/manners-in-regency-
england/
https://byuprideandprejudice.wordpress.com/2014/01/28/courtship-and-marriage-in-
the-regency-period/
https://jasna.org/publications-2/persuasions-online/vol36no1/bailey/
https://vanessariley.com/blog/2021/11/22/women-and-money-in-the-regency/

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 Chapter 4
Chapter Notes

I have a playlist I want to share for this but AO3 isn't letting me link it and it's making
me sad. Regardless, I hope you enjoy this chapter <3

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Precisely four days after the group of friends’ infamous game of Pai Sho, Toph Beifong found
herself walking from the Beifong estate over to the viscount’s estate to take a weekly brunch with
the ladies as she did every time they were in Gaoling.

She did not know when the once-weekly summer habit came to be, but it had been for close to a
decade. And the ladies rather enjoyed it.

The first time Toph had been invited to a brunch over at Naitok House, Lady Malina had insisted
during a visit that she just had to join them for the absolute best menu she would have the pleasure
of enjoying. And who was Toph to decline such a generous offer to eat? And so, weekly, Toph,
Katara, Suki, and the viscountess took their brunch outdoors when favorable—which it was not
today, given the light drizzle.

A lot of their time at brunch was spent eating and drinking, and, for the most part, gossiping.
Despite not being one to frequently partake in ton bavardage, it was always entertaining to hear her
friends do so.

Apart from that, she was also grateful to have people who showed her so much fondness when her
own parents were too caught up in their own affairs to do so themselves. It was acceptable,
however—she had no other choice but to live with the circumstances.

Having accounted for the drizzle in the air that day, Toph walked about clutching her parasol,
rather enjoying the feeling of the mud between her toes as she did. The route to the house was one
that she knew like the back of her hand. She had taken it so many times since she met Katara,
Sokka, and their parents, so she knew the direct way and the alternate paths. That day, given how
much of a positively odd mood she was in, she decided to take one of the longer, alternate routes.
She was feeling quite adventurous, indeed.

After everything that happened at the Sun-Yi ball, Toph decided that she had to look at the bright
side of the events. Xin Fu’s arrest, as Fen had helped her realize, had more advantages than
downfalls. Firstly, no one would have to deal with Xin Fu—the biggest bugger on the planet—
anymore; secondly, the Earth Rumble VI would surely be showing its face soon and she would be
able to recur to it if she needed an outlet; and thirdly, she would be able to focus on building up her
academy. And once it was launched, Toph was only going to continue competing for fun and
bragging rights; not for anything else.

So she chose to think optimistically for once—or at least for the time being.

She felt rather childish as she walked, the light drops of rain falling upon her parasol and her feet
squelching in the mud with every step she took. The feeling reminded her of the late nights she
would spend sneaking out of the Beifong estate and into the caves nearby where she would
practice her earthbending. It was one of the happiest times of her life, tiptoeing out of her home and
doing what she loved most in the world.

With a small smile on her face, Toph bounced with each step she took, and for the first time since
she made her debut in society, she actually felt the grandest desire to dance. From puddle to
puddle, she jumped, humming a silly, fabricated tune as she did so.

She hit a particularly slippery patch on the grass and she glided across it gracefully, feeling as
close as can be to her native element. Spirits, she would have giggled in glee had it not been for the
snort she heard behind her.

And that is what she got for not being aware of her surroundings for once.

“You absolute pain in my ass,” Toph grunted with a huff as clutched her parasol with one hand. “I
was in the middle of something.”

The moment she heard him, she thought back to the last time they were in the same space—the
sparring match. It was not as though she was uncomfortable, but the thought of what had happened
was… strange because nothing had happened. They were simply play-fighting as they usually did.
Any time she thought about it, she would feel the most peculiar sensation in the pit of her stomach,
but she shook it off.

“Safe to say I won?”

“And evidently, so have I.”

She shuddered inwardly.

It made no sense to her.

Sokka cleared his throat and stepped toward her. She could hear in his voice that he was trying not
to smile. “Oh, no. By all means, do not let me stop your dancing.”

“Dancing? That is certainly not what I was doing.”

“It sure looked like it had been.”

Toph bit back a smile of her own. “Surely not. I do not dance if I can help it.”

“I do not think this is true, but it is a pity, indeed,” he replied. “I would have felt compelled to join
you. I have never danced in the middle of Weiyang Road before.”

Her smile widened as she held her parasol with both hands now, not wanting it to fly off with the
stronger gusts of wind blowing. “That truly is a pity. It is rather enjoyable.”

“Toph Beifong,” he said, his teasing tone becoming more glaring, “I thought you said you were not
dancing.”

“It was a rather convincing lie, was it not?”

Sokka chortled and extended a hand toward her. “In that case, I do believe this a perfect
opportunity for us to take to the dance floor, Nǚshì Beifong.”

She scoffed and rolled her eyes at him. “Not a chance.”

There was no one around them at the moment, save for the children with their governesses
scattered around the street during a walk or the one or two couples walking about. But she felt odd,
thinking about the idea of them being seen fooling around. People could get the wrong idea and
she was not in the mood for talks to get back to her parents about their daughter canoodling in the
streets with the viscount’s firstborn.

“Why ever not?”

“We are in the middle of Weiyang!” she exclaimed, letting one hand fall off the parasol to
gesticulate.

Confused as to why she was out of sorts, he replied, “I know, and I have just told you that I have
not danced here before. It is a wonderful challenge to take on.”

“I am not going to partake in a silly activity with you that anyone might see and misinterpret,
Sokka. Anyone could think that we are courting.”

“And what, pray tell, should you care about that, hm? I am surprised to see how concerned you are
with public appearance since I have returned.”

Toph cocked her head at him, a hopefully exasperated expression on her face. “I have never cared,
but my parents certainly do. And I do not need to explain to them why the rags are saying, should
they come to do so, that you and I are courting.”

There was some silence on his part as her words sunk in and realization befell him, his outstretched
hand falling limp at his side. Toph truly did not care for what people said about her, but her family
was an entirely different issue. If people were to rumor that she and Sokka were, indeed, courting,
the rumor would snowball into something greater. People and their gossip were relentless and her
parents would not very much approve of it because Toph was still on the market, still eligible. And
if the ton began speaking about what they assumed was between her and Sokka, it would
potentially escalate, putting both of them at risk for ruin. She did not want that for him.

Nor for herself, of course.

Finally, after some moments of silence, Sokka said, “I am sorry, Toph. I sometimes truly forget
how militant your parents are about these things. They must have gotten worse while I was away
for you to have your guard up so high?”

“Not as much as you would think,” she replied with a chuckle. “They have just been breathing
down my neck more often, and it is exceedingly irksome if I do say so myself.”

“I cannot begin to imagine. I know my parents are not as—”

“Deranged?”

Sokka could not help but laugh at her interjection. “Not quite. I was going to say domineering.”

“That, too. But I suppose that they… they only seek the best for me, my parents,” Toph said, trying
to believe the words Fen had been telling her for years, that Lao and Poppy only sought the best for
her and that was why they were the way they were. “Though I do want to smother them with a
settee cushion in their sleep sometimes.”

Toph did love her parents, she did. They were just incredibly overbearing, and she knew that they
wanted her to not end up living life alone. And they also wished for the Beifong fortune to be well
kept and as long as she remained unmarried, her parents believed that this was unattainable. It was
true that they loved her—at least she thought they did—but she was a woman and a woman had no
power in this world.

On top of that, given her ailment, Poppy and Lao always managed to keep a thick veil of protection
over their daughter. It was done for her benefit, or so they said, but she despised the way they
treated her, and consequently, the way she felt. They thought her helpless and weak when that was
the last thing she was. And despite her attempts to demonstrate as much, they refused to open their
eyes.

But she loved them.

“I am sorry,” Sokka repeated, reaching out to her elbow and giving it a gentle squeeze.

Toph cleared her throat, her eyes feeling misty, and she ventured to change the subject. “So where
are you headed if I may ask?”

If he noted the small crack in her voice when she spoke, he did not mention it. “Much the same as
you, I imagine. Heading to my parents’ home for a visit just as you presumably are for your
brunch.”

“It is funny how you say that as though you do not presently live there.”

“Hopefully, that will just be for another week or so, a fortnight at most,” he admitted with a shrug.
“I had to give up the old set of rooms I used to rent through the social season when I left for the
Western Air Temple, and now, I find myself without a suitable replacement. That was what I was
doing back down in Zhuque—attempting to find a new dwelling for the time being. If I do not, I
shall simply continue mulching off of my parents and/or sister." He laughed, then added, "On my
return, I figured I could walk back to the house.”

She raised her brow. “In the rain?”

“It had not been raining when I began walking, and even now, it is merely a drizzle, and that has
never killed anyone to my knowledge,” Sokka pointed out. Then, he asked, “What of you?”

“Ah, well, you were correct—I am joining the ladies for our weekly brunch,” Toph replied with a
short nod. “Which I am to be late for if we continue to stand here like a pair of ninnies.”

“Right, yes. And I shall not keep you here in the coming rain, either.”

She rolled her eyes again. “Firstly, I am the one with the parasol out of the two of us because I
possess common sense as opposed to whatever it is you do. And secondly, I should think that a
little drizzle would not do any damage, as you very well said, in the case that I did not have my
parasol.”

“That does not signify because I would not be much of a gentleman if I did not see to your welfare,
would I?” He asked her pompously. “Speaking of which… where is your maid, Toph?”

Toph had told Fen to stay home as there was no real reason for the woman to accompany her
unless she wanted to. Fen admitted that she wanted to catch up on some of her reading, so she
politely agreed with letting her mistress make the trip alone. “It is a short walk, Sokka, even when I
take the long way as I am today. I can very well take care of myself, thank you.”

“Well, you never know what could lurk in the shadows, Toph. There could be a criminal
somewhere.”

She deadpanned. “A criminal? Really? What would a criminal do with me? As I said, I can take
care of myself.”

“I know that. But you are still a woman. A woman, in fact, with a… pleasurable countenance,” he
said, almost murmuring the last part. Then he cleared his throat. “I truly think that you should
travel with a maid when you journey to and fro. I should—I should hate it if something happened
to you.”

Toph was oddly touched by his concern and his compliment, so much that she had to fight a blush
from feathering her cheeks.

She was never one to handle direct complimentary comments gracefully, so after taking note of the
few people nearby, Toph socked him on the chest. “I am five and twenty, Sokka. I appreciate your
concern, but I am most capable of walking about on my own.”

He grunted at the impact of her punch, but she knew that he was smiling at her, nonetheless. “What
does that matter? I am eight and twenty if you care to know.”

She knew that, much like she knew everything else about him. “Sokka,” she almost groaned,
annoyance more evident in her tone than before.

“Toph,” he replied in the same tone.

A long exhale. “This is ridiculous.”

“You are the only one making it so. I am merely attempting to do my duty as a gentleman, who is,
might I add, quite concerned about the welfare of his best friend.”

“No, you are being a pain about matters that do not concern you,” Toph said with a righteous tilt of
her chin. “Walking from my home to your parents’ home is not a difficult feat and I am certain that
no such criminal or lurker would try to do anything to hurt or compromise me. And if they made
the mistake to do so, they would end up wounded or worse.

“Much like you will if you do not leave me be,” she added in a mutter.

He dramatically sighed. “Fine. I suppose we may just agree to disagree.”

“Capital decision, Snoozles.” She grinned, happy that he would finally drop the matter.

A whine. “Is it not high time that you retire that nickname? You managed to catch me drifting to
sleep during one musicale…”

Toph laughed at the memory. It had been some few years prior. One of the dreadfully horrid
musicales was being put on as it was every single season since she was able to remember, and
Sokka managed to find a comfortable position to fall prey to his fatigue. He was seated directly in
front of her and she could feel his heartbeat and breaths slow. It took all she had within her to not
laugh at him—or at Katara smacking him every few seconds to wake him to no avail—during the
performance.

“Oh, it shall never be time to retire the nickname. It is my best work.”

“I do despise you.”

“It is impolite to lie, Snoozles,” Toph teased. “Now, enough of this. Let us be on our way to your
father’s.”
His mood immediately lifted as he offered her his arm and they began to walk in the direction of
his family home. “Should you think they will put out hotcakes and sweet cream?”

“I know they will put out hotcakes and sweet cream.”

“Good,” Sokka said, patting her hand after she looped it into his. “I do love my family, but I truly
only keep them around for the food.”

It took no time at all for Toph and Sokka to finally arrive at the home. After she managed to bend
the mud off her feet so as to not make a mess of the home’s carpeting, they entered the drawing
room. Suki and Katara were both already sipping their tea and nibbling on some biscuits that were
put out, along with the lady of the household.

“It took you long enough,” Suki groaned. “The food was getting cold.”

Toph rolled her eyes at her friend, detaching herself from Sokka’s arm. “You can blame this
jolterhead for making me late.”

“I do not appreciate that, Nǚshì Beifong,” Sokka said distractedly, making a beeline for the brunch
laid out in front of him. “You did not have to stop and speak with me, you know.”

“Of course not, but you would have continued to vex me if I had not.”

He paused his salivating to say, “You make a great point.”

“Do ignore my stepson, darling,” Malina said warmly. “And please have a seat. We have much to
catch up on.”

“Ignoring your stepson will be quite an easy task, Lady Malina.”

The viscountess sighed, giving Toph a loving pat on the shoulder after she took a seat. “I have told
you, dear, you may drop the formalities when we are in our households. You are like family, after
all. And just like family, ignoring my stepson should come easily.”

Sokka snapped to attention again. “I am just here!”

Toph laughed at that as she took the cup and saucer Katara handed to her. It was always lovely to
hear that people that she held dear felt the same way about her. Having a place to run to after
dealing with her family was a breath of fresh air.

“The biscuits are particularly good this morning,” Katara said, taking a bite of her own. “They are
always good, but something about today’s batch… Cook must have known you were coming,
Toph.”

“I am an esteemed guest after all. It makes sense.”

“Or perhaps he knew I was coming,” Sokka interjected, mouth full. “He is quite known for making
my favorite dishes, so he very likely wanted to show off his skills for his biggest admirer.”

“Mind your manners, dearest,” Malina scolded her stepson and turned back to the ladies. “The
butter biscuits really are delicious this morning.”

Happy to be the judge of that, Toph took a sip of her tea and immediately bit into the biscuit,
deciding that it was, indeed, heaven upon her taste buds. So good, in fact, that she had to swallow a
moan of delight when she finished it off.
Her enjoyment of the food was short-lived, however, as Malina asked, “Have any of you heard
anything about that gentleman’s arrest at the Sun-Yi ball? The ordeal was frightening.”

Toph almost groaned at the unsuspecting woman’s question. She had been doing so well at not
thinking about the subject, but alas, it seemed as though Toph was never meant to be tranquil about
anything.

There was a bit of knowing silence before anyone dared to reply. Suki was the one to break it.
“Nothing of note, my lady. Just that he was running an illegal scheme, is all.”

“Ah, yes. The earthbending tournament,” Malina nodded in understanding. “It is truly a shame,
that. It is not fair that those who have such incredible abilities are unable to share their gift. I know
little of the other bending arts, but I do know that Katara’s waterbending is quite beautiful.”

Toph deflated at that, hiding her expression of dismay behind her teacup. Unlike her own parents,
the viscount and viscountess were supportive of their offspring. Of course, they looked out for
Katara, specifically, in terms of the legalities of it all as they forbade her from bending outside of
the household during their childhood, but Malina felt saddened that her daughter could not
waterbend whenever she desired. Lao and Poppy, however, found that earthbending was a disgrace,
siding with the fools who outlawed bending arts in the first place.

“You may regard it as beautiful; I regard it as quite bothersome,” Sokka muttered into his plate.
“The sheer amount of times she whips me in the forehead for no reason may disagree with you,
Malina.”

As if on cue, Katara sent a stream of water in her brother’s direction, making him yelp. She smiled
in triumph and said, “This is a ladies' brunch, by the way. You have no place in this drawing room,
brother.”

Toph and Suki chortled into their napkins as Malina admonished her stepdaughter. “No bending in
the drawing room, Katara!”

“Precisely, sister. No bending in the drawing room, and especially not at your defenseless brother.”

Katara stood up, directing herself toward Sokka in a waterbending stance. “I shall show you
defenseless—”

“No bending in the drawing room!” Malina repeated with more conviction with a hand on her
forehead. Toph began to feel bad for the her.

“To be fair,” Suki spoke, “there is no bending anywhere, Malina.”

Toph nodded at Suki in agreement. “She has a point.”

Malina sighed defeatedly. “You lot will be the death of me, I shall have you know.”

“And what a death that will be!” Sokka said cheerfully, making the entire table laugh aloud.

With that, Malina finished off her meal and excused herself from the group. She apologized for not
being able to remain with them for longer, but she had to rush off for an appointment at the
modiste.

The rest of the hour was spent eating and gossiping about the courtships that have begun and those
that have already ended. Apparently, one of the Fire Nation ladies, Mai, had accepted a courtship
with an Earth Kingdom noble, who was having an affair with one of the maids in his mother’s
household, whom he managed to impregnate. The piece of hearsay had been printed in that
morning’s gossip rag and apparently, everyone was already talking about it.

“Poor Mai,” Katara lamented, serving herself another cup of tea. “She is such a sweet woman; she
did not deserve to be publicly humiliated.”

Toph shrugged. “I would imagine that she does not care very much. She does not strike me as that
kind of person.”

“What kind of person?”

“The kind of person who gives a devil about what people may think of them,” Toph replied. She
and Mai had spoken once or twice, and Toph rather thought that they were similar. Mai was the
daughter of a duke, however, and she had even more pressure upon her to wed, so she was bitter,
and rightfully so, in Toph’s opinion. She would have been bitter as well had she been in Mai’s
position, and she already was bitter with her parents’ expectations of her. “I would actually think
her glad that she ended up finding out about this scandal sooner rather than later. It saved her
time.”

Katara hmphed. “That is quite pessimistic of you. What if he had been The One for her?”

“Obviously, Sugar Queen,” Toph scoffed, “that was not the case here, hence why I said that it
might have saved her time to have learned of his scandal early on.”

“Mhm,” Suki hummed at Toph’s side. “I agree. Mai has very well dodged a bullet.”

“You are both annoyingly defeatist,” Katara sighed. “I would think more of my friends’
expectations of the marriage mart, considering that one of them is on the precipice of being
courted.”

Toph rolled her eyes as Sokka snapped to attention and asked, “Suki is being courted? It is about
time!”

“Why would you automatically assume that she was referring to me?” Suki asked indignantly. “I
am a spinster, and I do not expect or even want to be courted any time soon, thank you very much.”

A low groan as he turned toward Toph. “So Satoru has asked to court you?”

“He has not, in fact. We simply went out on two promenades, he called on me three times, all of
which were pleasant, I shall admit. That is all,” Toph replied, purposely leaving out the fact that he
gave her a rather significant gift. “That does not signify a potential courtship, however.”

“Of course it does, Toph!” Katara exclaimed happily. “Oh, this will be wonderful.”

“I do not know about that Satoru fellow,” Sokka said suspiciously. “He does not give me a most
positive impression.”

Suki snorted. “That is because you are jealous.”

A silence befell the group before Sokka stammered, “Untrue. I simply find myself worried for our
friend. You two should be as well.”

“I believe,” Toph said, attempting to put Suki’s comment out of her mind, “that I told you that I am
able to take care of myself, Sokka.”
“And I believe I told you that I am well aware, but that does not mean that I will not still worry
about you.”

She had to focus on rolling the loose thread of her skirts between her fingers to not blush at his
concern. “Worry not, then, as I much rather be a spinster than marry and become a bore.”

“Hey!”

“Of course, no offense to you, Katara,” Toph smiled brightly. “You have always been a bore.”

As Katara began to speak about how amazingly interesting and certainly not boring she was, Toph
found herself thinking about the idea of Satoru courting her. She had previously considered that she
would not mind accepting a courtship with him, and she still did not, but she fretted about it being
drawn out. He was a nice man and knowing that she would not want to see the courtship through to
marriage, she knew that he was likely going to be dismayed. He did not deserve as much.

Perhaps it would be ideal for her to put an end to their acquaintanceship as it was, just before he did
ask her parents for permission to formally court her. It would definitely save heartbreak and pain on
his part, and guilt on hers. Still, the beginning of a courtship would keep her parents at bay.

Decisions, decisions.

“I believe that I will do some investigating,” Sokka said finally, breaking Toph out of her thoughts.
“I am sure that I will find something questionable about the man if I dig well enough. Everyone
has their secrets.”

Toph almost laughed because she certainly had a considerably large secret to hide. But she kept
herself composed, popping an orange slice into her mouth. “Does this mean that if we do digging
of our own, we may find some of your secrets, Snoozles?”

“No secrets at all. I am an open book.”

“Unfortunately for us,” Katara muttered. Then, she referred to Toph and Suki. “If you need to
know anything compromising about him, look no further because I do have a fair share of stories
that are itching to be told.”

Sokka stopped eating whatever he was working on and turned his head toward Katara with a
nervous chuckle. “I do not believe that will be necessary, sister dear.”

“Grand. Now, I would think you also find it unnecessary for you to pry for information about the
gentleman interested in Toph.”

“Exactly, Snoozles. Fair is fair.”

He sighed loudly and relented. “Fine. I suppose I will keep to myself, but as soon as he does
something questionable, I will be lurking.”

“Good man,” Suki laughed, giving him a pat on the back. “It is the least you could do for your best
friend, after all.”

Toph heard Sokka begin to grumble resentfully into his teacup and she had to laugh. For a man
approaching his thirties, he certainly acted twelve. He had not changed much from when they were
younger. He was always trying to get to the bottom of things, always roughhousing, and always
being the most annoying person to walk the Earth. But everyone loved him, no matter how
irksome he proved to be.
 The women continued to berate Sokka until a footman entered the drawing room with a note for
Toph.

“Your presence is requested at your residence, Nǚshì Beifong.”

Toph furrowed her brows in question. “Concerning?”

“You have a caller, it seems,” said the footman.

Katara squealed. “Oh! This is wonderful! Please take our family carriage. It looks like it is raining
more heavily and I should not want you to be drenched by the time you reach your home for your
caller .”

“Must you truly leave so soon? It feels as though we have only just arrived,” Sokka said with not as
much impetus as Katara.

Toph wanted to stay, but she knew that if she remained where she was, her mother would have
more to say than Toph would like. She would walk through the wildest fires to avoid her mother’s
speeches.

Before she could think of anything to reply, Suki said, “For heaven’s sake, Sokka, leave the woman
be. Or is there something you would like to say before she parts, hm? I should not begin to imagine
what that might be.”

She picked up on his accelerated heartbeat immediately and she furrowed her brows as Sokka
cleared his throat and said, “I just wish for you to… be careful. Do let us know if he does anything
untoward.”

Katara huffed at the pair and went to Toph, practically shoving her out the door of the household
by her hand. “Go. Have a great time with Xiansheng Satoru. I do hope that he turns out to be a
good, kindhearted man, Toph. You deserve nothing less than the best. I know you do not wish to
marry, but you never know if married life would suit you. I know it does me, and I have no doubt
that it would you as well.”

Still reeling from the exchange between Sokka and Suki just a moment ago, Toph absently nodded
and squeezed the hand Katara was holding in return distractedly. “We shall certainly see.”

With that, she was gone, courtships and marriages at the forefront of her mind.

Chapter End Notes

- References to regency-era vocab: https://www.georgette-heyer.com/slang.html

https://www.thrillist.com/lifestyle/nation/1800s-insults-slang-from-the-victorian-era

- Rules high society citizens had to abide by during the social season:
http://theatrekimberly.com/portfolio/sense-and-sensibility/manners-in-regency-
england/
https://byuprideandprejudice.wordpress.com/2014/01/28/courtship-and-marriage-in-
the-regency-period/
https://jasna.org/publications-2/persuasions-online/vol36no1/bailey/
https://vanessariley.com/blog/2021/11/22/women-and-money-in-the-regency/
Find me on Tumblr!
 Chapter 5
Chapter Notes

so i found a way to attach the playlist i made for this fic lol! it should be embedded in
the first chapter for your convenience <3

oh, and for those who dislike Kiyi, this is the final time she’s mentioned in the entirety
of the fic lmfao

note: slight mention of blood from an injury in this chapter

enjoy!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

It took Satoru exactly three weeks to ask Marquis Lao Beifong for permission to court Toph. And
she had no say in it whatsoever.

Her mother and father sat her down the afternoon after Satoru had spoken with Lao. He told her
that she would meet Satoru at the Liang Family musicale two nights later. They also said to her that
she either went along with the courtship or her father would fix to find a special license and marry
her off in less than a sennight. Of course, Toph much preferred to endure what would end up being
a sham of a wooing than be ushered down the aisle to be bonded for life to someone against her
will.

It did not mean she favored the decision, though a temporary courtship was, in truth, better than
marriage.

So she went along with it. She gave her parents one nod of assent, turned on her heel, and come the
next morning, all the gossip rags available reported on the commencement of Xiansheng Satoru
and Nǚshì Toph Beifong’s courting period.

Fen read the rags to Toph and none of them had many a kind thing to say. Some said that perhaps
the only Beifong descendent found herself feeling alone after oh so many years on the market;
others published that maybe her parents were growing desperate for their daughter to marry and
found her the suitor. Her favorite, however, was the column that said that it was about time that
Nǚshì Toph Beifong managed to find a man to earnestly court her because her eligibility was
undoubtedly fleeting in favor of her long-standing spinsterhood.

She was not very happy with how it was all going for her, but she supposed that it could have been
worse. That is until Katara all but burst into her bedchamber the morning after the articles were
published. And Toph was not in the best of moods.

“He is courting you now?”

Toph huffed in a way that would be looked down upon in a public setting and cursed under her
breath. “Settle down, Sugar Queen.”

“You wish for me to settle down, do you? Well, I am afraid to say that I will not be settling down
any time soon, Toph Beifong,” Katara fumed, pacing back and forth so much that it began to make
Toph a bit dizzy. “How is it possible that I do not learn of your courtship with Xiansheng Satoru
from you but from the gossips? The gossips, Toph!”

“Well, now you know.”

“But I did not hear about it from you,” Katara replied. “This is the type of information you tell your
best friend. And I know that we spoke about the possibility of it, but— but you should have told
me! There are no secrets between us…”

“It is not something to be out of sorts about, Katara,” Toph replied sternly, exasperation evident in
her tone. “So please, I shall beg you to let the matter cease.”

After then, things got tense between the two friends and Katara excused herself, turning to rush out
of the Beifong household. Toph immediately regretted her attitude; she had not meant to be so
harsh, but she genuinely did not want to discuss the topic further. She was already distressed about
having to go through with the courtship despite her reservations and doubts, and she knew that
Katara would have continued pressing her had she not stopped her.

It was still no excuse to have treated her so unpleasantly, and guilt swirled around in her stomach.
As a consequence, Toph had Fen pen a message to the fire lady about an hour after she left, asking
her to consider an outing to the shops later in the evening. Toph despised shopping, but she knew
that Katara thoroughly enjoyed it, so she was willing to endure something she thought was
synonymous with torture for her best friend.

Much to both Toph’s delight and dismay, Katara accepted the olive branch with a “Very well. But I
expect you to not utter a single complaint no matter how much time I spend at one kiosk.”

She also said that they were to meet at her and Zuko’s Gaoling home as Katara was to spend the
rest of the morning with his sister Kiyi. Apparently, the distant cousin she lived with had shown up
with the young girl after Katara returned home, saying that Kiyi insisted they had to make time for
lunch and ushered her away. Still, Toph decided that she would get ready and leave her house as
soon as she could.

As Fen adjusted Toph’s bodice, the lady’s maid informed her mistress that the training space they
had discovered some days prior was vacant and hidden away from the public eye, making it perfect
for its purpose. It was the former location of a temple that Toph remembered visiting with her
parents as a child near the outskirts of the city, which had been seemingly abandoned. The
structure had an underground area large enough to allow multiple people’s movements and
bending with the advantage of concealing them.

Toph beamed up at Fen when she heard the news and told her that all that remained was finding
students and perhaps a disguise for herself. She could very well use her Rumble outfit for teaching,
but that would make her easily recognizable to her friends and she could not have that. Luckily,
Fen knew her way around a dress with a needle and thread to make any pertinent changes to
something Toph already owned.

Toph also told Fen about word regarding the continuation of the Rumble, which was to happen the
night of the musicale.

And she was feeling all kinds of things.

On one hand, her excitement was at an all-time high. She would be able to work on her craft, have
it out against other benders, and take home yet another first prize. She knew that it was going to be
a great time. But she was also a tad unsettled because there was a higher chance now that she could
be discovered, and therefore, punished. The feat was indeed risky.

Nevertheless, she was eager to feel the rush of competition again, even if just once every few
months. She had even picked out a new pseudonym.

Without realizing it, a small smile crept onto Toph’s face as Fen put the finishing touches of rouge
upon her cheeks. She had not felt so keen about something in a long time; she felt like a child
again.

So many things were happening; things that brought her joy. The only piece out of place was the
dashed courtship. But it could have been worse.

Once she was finished, Toph told Fen that she would make the journey to Katara’s alone and she
was off, deciding that she wanted to take a walk rather than the family carriage. The day was
beautifully sunny, and despite Fen having secured her bonnet before she left the house, Toph
pulled it off her head, happy to feel the heat against her skin. Ladies were not meant to catch the
sun, they were meant to keep their faces looking unburnt and even instead of sunkissed and
inconsistent. It was a rather foolish societal expectation in Toph’s opinion, so considering that she
was alone and the walk was decently short, she cared not about whatever consequences there were
to taking off her bonnet.

But then she arrived at the fire lord’s household, and she was greeted by a puzzled footman. “Nǚshì
Toph? I do not believe the fire lady was expecting you so soon.”

“Oh,” Toph’s lips parted. “Is his lordship here, then?”

The footman, Lien, shook his head. “He is out on business right now.”

“Do you know where she has gone or when she will return? The fire lady?”

“I do not, I must admit. But she did part with Nǚshì Kiyi this morning shortly after she replied to
your message.”

Toph frowned, trying to decide what to do. She had counted on Katara being back by the time she
reached the residence. “I see. Then, I suppose I shall wait. Perhaps she was delayed.”

“Of course, Nǚshì,” said Lien, stepping aside and letting her into the house. The hardwood floors
were cold and she reached out to the footman for a hand in navigating the home. Diligently, he
directed her toward one of the upstairs drawing rooms, one that Toph knew well considering how
much time she and Katara had spent chatting there.

He also told her that he would bring a platter of food because he was sure that she would be
hungry. She was.

Once she was left alone, she sauntered over to the left corner of the room and sat at the pianoforte
bench. She removed her day gloves—wrist-length, lacey ones that she much preferred to her
evening gloves—and let her fingers graze the cool keys as her foot settled upon the outermost
pedal of the instrument.

Out of all of the inane activities that her mother and father made her learn to prepare for her
societal debut, Toph thought that the pianoforte was the least painful. It was not difficult for her to
become proficient at it, and she believed that she sounded rather good while playing. When she
was younger, perhaps sixteen, Toph would be eager to take her lessons with her instructor—it was
one of the few things she looked forward to throughout the week. And of course, she was much
more content learning advanced pianoforte skills than how to properly curtsy or how best to fan
herself to accentuate her bosom, so there was no complaint uttered when her weekly musical
lessons rolled around.

Toph had not noticed at first, but her fingers began moving along the keys, coaxing a beautiful,
soothing melody from the instrument. She was utterly lost in the unsystematic song she had
concocted. Every note of the tune was woven with such beauty that even she had to recognize.

How long had it been since she had actually sat down by a pianoforte? Months, to be sure. There
was one in her home, but after a few years, she did not feel comfortable playing around her parents.
Playing was something that she believed she wanted to keep for herself, despite their desire to hear
her improvement.

As she played there in Katara and Zuko’s drawing room, so concentrated on the sound the
instrument was emitting and how naturally her fingers were moving, she had not noticed the
company quietly listening at the door until the floorboards creaked beneath him.

Despite herself, Toph was startled at the interruption, the music coming to an abrupt end. She put a
hand to her chest and sighed—she really had to convince Katara to change her flooring.

“I would not have pegged you for a pianoforte extraordinaire,” Sokka said, taking shy steps into
the room.

“Oh, you know me. Just full of surprises.”

“A surprisingly unsurprising fact.”

Toph laughed as he took a seat next to her on the bench. She bumped her shoulder with his
amicably. “What are you doing here? I would have thought you were at a brothel or something,
you rake.”

“You wound me, Nǚshì,” Sokka scoffed in mock-offense, a hand flying to his chest. “If you must
know, however, I came over for some sword fighting with my brother-in-law. I owe him a beating
after the one he gave me during our last session. But it seems that he has not arrived yet. I supposed
that I would wait around for him to return,” he said and bumped her shoulder in return. “What of
you, then?”

She sunk the middle C key in a few times as she spoke. “The same. Waiting on your sister to
finally decide to show up for our outing.”

“Outing?”

“I have promised her that we are to go shopping.”

“But you hate shopping,” Sokka countered, then chuckled. “What did you do?”

“Why would you think I did anything?”

“You only ever go shopping when you absolutely have to, Toph—I should know, considering how
many times you have declined a shopping trip with me—so you must have done something for my
sister to have guilted you into it,” he continued, shifting where he sat to look at her face. He inhaled
sharply. “Oh, it must be scandalous. Is it scandalous? I do love some scandal.”

Toph shook her head at him, finding the repeating note incredibly interesting. “You are truly worse
than any female gossip, Sokka.”
“You cannot blame me when the gossip is certain to be unseemly. So what did you do?”

“I did not tell her something that I should have. That is all.”

“Something… scandalous?”

“No, you ninny,” she shoved him. “I am surprised you do not know already considering how much
you read the daily rags.”

Sokka was silent for a moment, as though he was trying to think about anything he had come
across. “Do not know what?”

She responded in a mutter a few times, causing Sokka to continually ask her to repeat herself until
she huffed and said in full voice, “Satoru asked to court me.”

He froze, then stood up to straddle the bench, his body turned directly to her. “And what did you
say?”

“What do you think, you highbrow?”

“Oh.”

“Yes,” she said. “And I managed to not tell Katara as much, so she is not very pleased with me.”

Sokka let out a long sigh, and she did not know what to make of it. Ever since Satoru had been in
the picture, Sokka had been acting differently, always wanting to know if everything was going
well between them, always asking if Satoru was being genteel and proper… It was strange. While
it was completely understandable for her close friend to be concerned about her welfare in terms of
a man looking to court her, Sokka had never before been quite so attentive in such matters, few as
there were.

“Barring your impromptu outing to the shops, I am… happy for you.”

Toph allowed herself to continue paying attention to the pianoforte in front of her, her fingers
brushing the keys, emitting a very soft sound. Not knowing if she wanted to hear his answer, she
asked, “Are you?”

“I am always happy for you, Toph,” he replied too softly. “Always.”

There was an uncomfortable tension building up in the space and she felt as though the air was
becoming increasingly thicker and the room increasingly smaller. She sniffed and slid off the
bench, carefully trodding over to where she knew the window was, and leaned against its sill to
allow the sun to hit her face. “What about you? Any prospects? Or are you still spending your time
with those instrumentalists and singers?”

It was fairly known that Sokka spent some evenings of his week with female company. Of course,
because of his nomadic nature and his travels, he would never remain long enough to begin his
own courtship during the social season. It was one of the reasons why his stepmother was always
giving him lists of marriageable ladies in the ton throughout the season.

Sokka grunted as he stood to join her. “I am a gentleman—”

“—who spends his nights with women. Nothing to be ashamed of.”

“I know that I should begin to settle down, I do. I have duties,” he started, sounding a bit hesitant
to tell her whatever he was trying to. “I simply do not know if I should just yet.”

“How so?”

“If I settle down, it means that I have to relinquish my desires to travel, to see the world, to do as I
please. I do not want to do that. I do not want anyone or anything, such as marriage, to keep me
from doing that. Travel is too important to me.

“And Malina and father… they do not allow me any kind of respite in the department of marriage.
I told them that I want to travel and live out my desires and see what I want to do with my life, and
they continue telling me about the importance of settling down and starting a family. It is much too
tiring.”

Something within her snapped. Anger bubbled in her stomach at his words. He would feel confined
to marriage by not being able to travel? What of her? If she were to marry, she would not be able to
do much of anything, would she? It was one of the very reasons why she did not want to get
married. And the fact that he was talking poorly of the way his family was simply looking out for
him was despicable. So she just scoffed, not being able to formulate a response.

“What?” he asked defensively. “Do you have something to say?”

She turned her head away from him for a moment and took a deep breath before responding. “Poor
first-born son of the viscount of the Southern Water Tribe, hm? He does not wish to wed because
he does not want to lose his freedom to do as he pleases. How fucking tragic.”

“What the devil are you on about?”

“I am on about how I do not wish to relinquish my freedom. How, out of the two of us, I am the
one who is predisposed to losing it because I am expected to marry, like every other woman out in
society,” Toph fumed, one of her hands tightly gripping the window sill. “You have the
opportunity, despite a marriage, to do whatever it is you want to do, Sokka, because you are a man.
A privileged one at that—one who has women at his feet, begging for you to ask for their hand in
marriage. And they would not care if you traveled or paraded around the four nations and left them
behind because they would have your name and your status, Sokka.”

She heard him gulp, the realization of his mistake falling over him. “Toph—”

“I was not finished,” Toph seethed, feeling the earthen sill crumble in her hand. “I cannot believe
that you have the nerve to complain to me about relinquishing your freedom to marriage. You get
to keep your freedom if you marry, you get to do what you desire. The poor woman with the
misfortune of being your wife will be the one to suffer the consequences of your union all because
she must put the fate of her family’s fortune before her own wants and needs, no matter whether
she has any affection for you or vice versa.

“Not only that but the fact that you actually also have the audacity to complain to me about how
your father and Malina genuinely give a shit about you! My parents—well, my parents are simply
—they do not— ” she groaned. “Your family loves you, Sokka; they are only looking for what is
best for you.

“Do not speak to me about how it is much too tiring for you to navigate life, I do not care to hear it.
Not all of us have your level of privilege here, not all of us are so lucky in life, so, respectfully, quit
your crying because some of us do have crap to cry about— FUCK .”

Her rant was quite rudely interrupted as something within the sill she had crushed cut through her
hand. She could feel the blood beginning to drip from the injury on her palm and it took all she had
within her to not let out another curse to alert a maid in the home.

It was lucky she had taken off her gloves earlier.

“What— oh, Toph,” Sokka stammered, immediately cradling her hand in his and pressing his
handkerchief onto the wound. Then, he gasped as he cupped his hand beneath hers to catch the
blood before it began to drip. “The floors!”

“Ever the attentive nurse you are,” Toph said through clenched teeth.

“Well, you are not going to die from a cut to your palm, Toph,” he said quickly, pressing the
handkerchief more firmly into her palm, eliciting a hiss from her. “You also know how Katara is
about her floors—”

Toph hissed again, then gave him her most winning and wobbly smile. “It is fine. I was only trying
to make a joke, Snoozles.”

“Oh, uh, well, perhaps you should sit down,” he mumbled, placing his hand on the small of her
back to guide her back to the pianoforte bench and helping her sit. “And I shall have you know that
if you ever have an inclination to work a common job, comedy is not the job for you.”

She sagged into the bench and her back fell against the center keys of the pianoforte, dissonance
ringing out and making her wince. “I appreciate the warning.”

Sokka made an odd sound as his grip on her hand loosened. “Perhaps I better have a seat, too.”
And he did, right beside her.

“Do not tell me that the sight of blood sickens you,” she teased weakly, hating the sensation of pain
and blood seeping out of her hand. “Are you going to be all right?”

“I will be fine. We need to find something else to control the bleeding. Spirits, where is Katara
with her healing when you need her?”

At that, Toph remembered that she always carried a handkerchief of her own. She usually nuzzled
it in her bosom for safekeeping, so, with her good hand, she reached between her breasts and
handed him the cloth.

It took him all of five seconds to take it from her and begin to wrap it around her hand. “Does it
hurt? I—of course it hurts. Do not hasten to answer that.”

“It hurts,” she confirmed. “And all the pressure you are putting on it is not helping all that much.”

He ignored her critique as he brought her hand up to the light and examined it. “I do not think
Katara will take long to heal it, but it would help if she got here before the end of the year.”

“And you know much about wounds, do you?”

“Nothing at all, in reality, other than my own bumps and bruises. But it does not look bad—except
for, well, all of the, ah, blood.”

“I bet it feels worse than it looks.”

He stammered a bit and she almost laughed as she amended her comment. “Another joke.
Although it does hurt, to be sure. Nothing I cannot handle.”
“I am so sorry,” Sokka said tightly, trying to keep emotion out of his voice, but she knew him
better than that.

She scoffed. “You should be.”

“This is all my fault.”

“That I sliced my hand?”

“If I had not started lamenting about my issues that are not really issues…”

Despite her anger, she shook her head, closing her eyes briefly against the pain in her hand. “If you
had not said it today, you would have said it some other time and I still would have reacted the
same way, Sokka.”

Putting increased pressure on the wound, he sarcastically muttered, “And of course, you would
have injured yourself then, too.”

Toph felt an unexpected wave of something she had never thought she would feel around company
other than herself or even Fen or Katara—vulnerability, and openness. She had never before been
so frank with anyone about her relationship with her parents before, and she had much less gone on
a harangue the way she had some moments ago. It was true that Sokka knew that her parents were
a serious pair who seemed to care more about appearance than their own offspring or family, but
she was sure that he knew not of how severe that was. She was careful that he nor anyone would
ever find out about it.

“Toph?” Sokka spoke after a few seconds of silence. The movement of his thumb against her wrist
stopped and he leaned into her a bit. “I must tell you—”

Toph could hear someone’s footsteps nearing the drawing room as Sokka broke his sentence off
leaving her wondering what he was going to say next. She cleared her throat and said, “That would
be the footman. He insisted upon fetching me a platter of food.”

“We should—we should hide all the blood, yes?” he asked himself, scrambling to his feet
nervously, still holding the handkerchief to her wound. “I know you would not want an issue made
about an injury such as this one.”

Toph rolled her eyes, removed her hand from his grasp, and set it next to her hip where it would not
be seen by the footman just as he entered the room.

“Lien!” Sokka greeted the footman. “Although I am aware that this food is for Nǚshì Toph, I am
happy to see that there is more food on this platter than what she is able to eat on her own.”

“You being in this household today is what led me to order a vaster amount of food, sir.”

Sokka guffawed, giving Lien a pat on the back. “Oh, I do love how you know me so well.”

“Thank you again for this, Lien,” Toph added. “Although, I will say that I am certainly able to
devour the entire platter on my own, despite what Sokka tells you.”

The footman cleared his throat and bowed. “Do let me know if you require further assistance,” and
he exited the room.

As soon as Lien left them, Toph let out a low grunt as she brought her hand up to her lap and
pressed the handkerchief more firmly into her palm. Within seconds, Sokka was at her side again
with some of the napkins that were brought in with the food.

“Allow me to replace that handkerchief,” he said, bringing her hand onto his own lap this time and
peeling off the bloody cloth, immediately pressing the napkin there. “I think the bleeding has
slowed. In fact, I am certain of it because the sight of it is no longer making me feel sick.”

Toph shivered, frankly disgusted by the feeling of the cloth detaching from her skin. “I am sorry
about your handkerchief.”

“I am sorry about yours,” he nervously laughed, then it died down. She already knew he was going
to apologize again, but she allowed him to continue without too obviously rolling her eyes at him.
She knew that he felt bad about what had happened. “And about what I said earlier. I was truly not
thinking.”

“You never think.”

He readjusted his grip on her hand and his position on the bench next to her. “I deserved that, but I
truly am sorry. I cannot begin to imagine just what you must go through as—as a woman out in
society, having to marry to help protect your family’s fortune. It is not something I had thought
about until now.”

Even without having direct access to the changes in his heartbeat, Toph knew that he was being
sincere. His obliviousness did not surprise her as no man whom she had met had ever considered
what exactly women endured when out in society. Zuko himself had been raking about Gaoling in
addition to the Fire Nation before he began courting Katara, taking his manhood and freedom for
granted. Then, even he had no clue how against marriage his wife was until he saw first-hand what
it meant. It was lucky that they ended up falling so deeply in love, or Katara would have still been
unmarried, joining Toph and Suki in spinsterhood, despite wanting a happy ending.

She shook her head. “Your family only wants you to be happy, Sokka. They are not trying to guilt
you into marrying, they are not forcing you to marry at some point in your life, they simply wish
for your happiness and comfort, even knowing that you are the one who would take over the title
of viscount, eventually. You may very well decide not to marry, but I am certain that they wish for
you to be content and accompanied when they are no longer walking this earth.

“I am not sure what kind of happiness marriage is able to offer because it seems like one of the
vilest punishments known to man,” she continued, “but if your family believes that it will bring
you happiness, it is… it is important you believe them.”

He let out a long sigh, trying to find the right words to say. Frankly, she could not blame him after
the way she reacted when he had not done so. “I understand that. I just do not want to find and
declare my intentions for just—for any young lady. And I especially do not want to do it if I cannot
make our lives worthwhile or if… if I do not have a purpose in life.”

“What do you mean?”

“I feel as though I am wandering through life purposeless,” Sokka said, reapplying pressure to her
palm. The pain wasn’t so sharp anymore and she was sure that the blood had ceased at this point,
but the pressure felt good. “Yes, I travel and I muse, but it is not enough. Before I marry, I would
like to find out what my purpose is—what I am meant to be doing while I am alive.”

Toph nodded in understanding, and she thought about the weight of his words. Sokka truly
believed that he did not have a purpose in his life; that he was simply waking up, going about his
day, and going right to sleep to begin the cycle again. But she knew that he was more than what he
seemed. He had once told her that he journaled his travels and wrote about what he saw and
experienced. He had even read her a passage or two and she had been quite impressed.

“Have you stopped your writing, then?”

“My writing?” he asked, perplexed and shaking his head. “That is nothing of substance. What I
write is quite laughable, really. Nothing to take seriously.”

“I am sure that is not true. It is something you are amazing at and you do not give yourself credit
for,” she said, meaning it. She did not have a doubt that Sokka would make out like a bandit no
matter what he did, though she would not tell him as much in so many words.

“What should you know of that?”

“I am simply telling you what I believe, and if you do not wish to hear it, I shall have you know
that I do not care,” Toph admitted, taking her hand back from him and pulling the napkin off,
tossing it aside. “What are you afraid of? That your writings are absolutely terrible? Pray tell, how
should you know whether they are or are not if you do not wish for people to read them?”

“I never said I did not wish for people to read—”

“You did not have to,” she replied, standing and walking over to repair the window sill that she
damaged. Moments such as these were when earthbending came in handy. “I remember how much
it took for me to convince you to read me a mere paragraph from your trip to Mount Makapu all
those years ago. I had to threaten you with a beating to get you to do so.”

Somehow, she knew that he shook his head and ran his fingers through his hair. It was what he
always did when he was in a tough place or was frustrated, the latter being a feeling that was
usually reserved for her or his sister. “My writings are just for me. They do not count as much of
anything.”

“I cannot tell you what to do with your things, Sokka, but I do believe that you saying that you have
no purpose is far from the truth.”

He started to say something again, then stopped, then took some hesitant steps in her direction, and
finally said, “I hope that what I am about to say is not insulting in any way given what has already
transpired. But I am telling you in hopes that you may understand.”

“I promise that I will not inflict accidental harm upon myself.”

A light laugh. “My family is—they are—my family is very accomplished. Malina runs her own
married ladies’ club, the first of its kind to not be illegitimate in any way; my mother was one of
the most progressive viscountesses in history; Katara is a waterbender, a skilled healer, and least
impressive of all of that, the fire lady; my father? He is a damn viscount. I should think that I have
an awful lot to live up to. And I am just here. I am to inherit his title whenever he is not fit to carry
it or whenever he is no longer with us… I do not think I am built for such a heavy burden,
especially when I have nothing to help me prove that it is one I may carry.”

“That is because you have never had to prove yourself,” Toph said immediately, angling her head
toward Sokka. She tried to speak without tension in her voice, despite feeling a bit slighted at his
self-pity again. “You have more than anyone else I know. From what every woman in the ton says,
you are attractive. Wealthy. You are a man above all else. All you have to do if you desire
something is reach out and take it.”

When every possibility was set before his feet, how could he possibly bitch and moan about not
 knowing what to do? That, Toph was unable to hear. She herself had been creating something out
of nothing for the past few months and working on her craft for years before that. And she had
done so primarily on her own as a woman. Sokka’s whining about his life was irritating. As he
proceeded, Toph became increasingly enraged again, and she realized she would have to either
shift the subject or leave.

“It truly is not that simple, Toph,” he said angrily. “I do not know why I thought you would ever
understand.”

“It is that simple.” She seethed at the audacity of his agitation and overall lack of understanding.
“And I apologize, but I cannot stand here and let you speak of your life as though it is nothing
when that could not be further from the truth.”

Before Sokka had the chance to respond and snap out of the state of shock he was in at her outburst,
Katara came barreling into the room breathlessly. From what Toph could tell, she was exhaustedly
leaning against the doorframe. “I am so sorry, Toph! I was trying so hard to get here sooner, but
Kiyi would just not. Stop. Eating.”

Toph put on her winningest smile and walked away from the window and from Sokka, crossing the
room toward her best friend and showing her the wound. She told her it was fine and that she might
need some tending to before they left for the shops. Katara, ever the drama queen, grabbed her
injured hand and examined it, immediately questioning her about how it happened. Toph just said,
“It was nothing,” and Katara continued to push for an answer to no avail as she quickly got to
healing.

Katara barely acknowledged Sokka, only giving him a halfhearted greeting as she healed Toph’s
wound. Once done, Toph walked out, arm linked with Katara’s, and did not care to turn back.

Chapter End Notes

- References to regency-era vocab: https://www.georgette-heyer.com/slang.html

https://www.thrillist.com/lifestyle/nation/1800s-insults-slang-from-the-victorian-era

- Rules high society citizens had to abide by during the social season:
http://theatrekimberly.com/portfolio/sense-and-sensibility/manners-in-regency-
england/
https://byuprideandprejudice.wordpress.com/2014/01/28/courtship-and-marriage-in-
the-regency-period/
https://jasna.org/publications-2/persuasions-online/vol36no1/bailey/
https://vanessariley.com/blog/2021/11/22/women-and-money-in-the-regency/
 Chapter 6
Chapter Notes

sorry about the delay in posting—it's been a rough week!

quick note: I gave Sokka’s family and Zuko/Katara a last name, evidenced in the first
chapter! Their surnames are Naitok and Qin, respectively. If you go back to the
prologue and the fourth chapter, you’ll notice I added references to the Naitok
surname there, and the third chapter for the Quin surname :)

enjoy!

It was the night of the Earth Rumble VI debut, and Toph was sitting between her mother and father
on a carriage on their way to the Liang family musicale. Frankly, she had much better things to do
than attend a subpar musical performance, but there she was, motion sick as the carriage came to a
stop in front of Liang House.

Yearly, the three invitations to the musicale arrived at their home by messenger, and yearly the
Beifongs swore that they would never attend another.

And yet, year after year, she and her family found themselves begrudgingly seated in a large room
for the performance, desperately trying not to cringe at the musical stylings of the Liang girls.

It was painful. The worst kind of painful. There was truly no other way to describe it.

This year, however, the difference was that it was the first time she would make a public
appearance since her courtship with Satoru was announced.

She was not too ecstatic about that.

As they usually did, Toph’s parents left her to her own devices because they knew she would prefer
to wrench away and sit with her friends through the hour-long performance. She did not very well
feel like interacting with Sokka tonight because she was still slighted by his attitude the last time
they spoke, but it was better than having to spend the hour with her parents up in their box with
nowhere to run.

Toph shook her head and zoned in on Aang’s heartbeat in the distance. He was seated beside Suki,
Zuko, and Katara somewhere near the front of the room. She almost cursed because she knew that
they had selected that area in order to provide the Liang girls some comfort as they butchered the
music that they would be playing, which was understandable. Toph could tell whenever the girls
performed how uncomfortable each of them was. It was pitiful because it was obvious how their
parents just shoved them onto that stage and cared not for how horrid their daughters sounded or
for their impending humiliation.

Toph and her friends figured that the girls could use an encouraging face—or six—to look at as
they made fools of themselves.

“We were wondering when you would grace us with your presence,” Suki greeted when Toph
appeared and made her way toward the seat between Aang, Suki, and Zuko.
Plopping herself in the comfortable seat with a grunt, she immediately tucked her legs beneath
herself, not caring about anything but her comfort. She was around her friends after all. “Wonderful
seats you have all chosen, I must say. I am to enjoy the music from here greatly.”

“Be nice,” Katara admonished quietly from beside Zuko. “These women need all the support they
are able to garner.”

It was Aang who spoke next. “I feel bad for these girls. They do not know any better.”

“I am sure they do,” Zuko interjected. “Just look at the youngest one’s face.”

Toph rolled her eyes. “Sure.”

“The youngest one, the one who plays the dramyin, looks incredibly embarrassed. She cannot even
bring herself to look at the crowd,” Suki supplied. “I cannot blame her.”

“At least that one has half a brain and knows how truly talentless they are, then.”

Katara gasped. “Toph!”

“What? You were all thinking it…”

“Spirits, help us all,” she replied with a tone of dismay to her best friend as everyone laughed. “I do
not know why I— Brother! You have arrived!”

For the second time that evening, Toph cursed to herself, wishing she had opted with being a
damned lady for once and kept her feet on the ground. If she had, perhaps she would have felt
Sokka approaching so she could at least prepare herself for discomfort. He has truly been
surprising her too much as of late.

The two friends had not spoken with each other since their fallout two days earlier and she planned
on giving him the cold shoulder all night, but it seemed as though he had other plans. As soon as
Katara called his name, he charmingly greeted everyone and asked Suki and Aang to move over to
make space for him next to Toph. Of course, not knowing that Sokka and Toph were unofficially
off speaking terms, they obliged and Sokka plonked down right next to her.

“Fancy seeing you here, Nǚshì Beifong.”

As if on cue—and thankfully —some chimes went off around the room, signaling the start of the
set. Bitterly, she responded, “I believe the performance is about to begin.”

Toph braced herself for the imminent torture that would clog her ears for an hour at the sound of
Sokka’s defeated sigh.

She was not exactly certain what was making her most uncomfortable—the agonizing rendition of
Tan Dun’s repertoire that the girls were performing or the fact that she could feel Sokka’s eyes on
her. The hairs on her arms and neck prickled with awareness and she found herself fidgeting, her
fingers tapping against her skirts. She would have sent him right to hell had she not been trying to
behave herself for the sake of the girls on stage who were humiliating themselves gravely.

When the set finally finished and the crowd lavished the girls with polite applause, which petered
out rather quickly, Toph relished in the lack of music. Soon enough, everyone was milling around,
making conversation with guests and engaging with the hosts.

“Food,” she murmured to herself, feeling her stomach growl slightly. Toph was blissfully aware of
the distance between the refreshment table and herself. It was just at the back of the room. And she
was happy to notice that Sokka was wrapped in conversation with Suki and Aang, so she took
advantage of his distractedness and slipped away, apologizing to Zuko and Katara as she pushed
her way out of the seating area.

Once she approached the refreshment table and managed to take hold of a glass of lemonade, she
felt Satoru shyly approaching her, so she turned around before he called on her, extending her hand
out to him, which he promptly took and brushed a kiss onto.

“Nǚshì Beifong,” he said sweetly. “How are you this evening?”

I do not want to be here. “Just fine, and yourself?”

“Excellent now that I have seen you,” he replied, then sheepishly laughed at himself. “I do not
know why I have said that. How embarrassing… But it does not make it any less true.”

Toph had to bite back a snort of her own as she let her hand drop out of his. “I am flattered, sir.”

“Please, call me Satoru—I am courting you after all.”

“Very well… Satoru,” she said with a nod, some of her tension melting away a bit at the idea of no
longer needing to refer to him by using honorifics. “Then you must call me Toph.”

He offered his arm to her, a smile in his voice. “Well then, Toph, should you like to take a lap
around the room with me?”

Knowing she should not refuse him, she reluctantly put her drink down and looped her arm through
his, and told him that she would love to.

She listened to him speak to her about his day, which was composed of helping his uncle settle
their family’s books and finances for the week. He said that he would have much preferred to
watch paint dry than do so. Toph had to laugh at that, much like she did as he told her more about
himself and his day.

Then, he asked about her day. There was not much she could tell him, in truth, considering what
she spent her day doing.

When Toph had awoken that morning, after only having slept an hour in total throughout the night
due to her tossing and turning, she felt nervous for the first time in a long time.

She was never one to become jittery or get cold feet, but there was so much weighing on this return
match going well that she could not help but be anxious about the event. Officers were aware of
the illegal competitions taking place throughout Gaoling, so they were, of course, going to be
hypervigilant over when they would resume. She could not get caught—she simply could not.

Toph knew she would be just fine, though.

So she just told Satoru that she spent her day dreading the musicale and he seemed to find that
hilarious.

He was truly not bad company, which to her, made it all the more difficult to have to break his
heart at the precipice of his impending proposal. She had no reason to be thinking about ending the
courtship just yet, but she could not help but think about it because she truly did not wish to get
married. And although Satoru was most definitely not the worst option for a husband, she did not
desire that kind of life. He deserved to be happy with someone who shared his wants and needs and
Toph simply was not that person.

They managed to complete their lap around the room and Satoru told her that he was going to
speak with a few of his mates. He bowed, she curtsied, and he left her alone at the refreshments
table. Her stomach grumbled again and she smiled devilishly as she went for an hors d'oeuvre.

Just as she was about to sink her teeth into it, she felt Sokka approach her this time and she sighed
with the utmost dismay. She ill-manneredly said, “What.”

“I am sorry.”

Toph scoffed. “As you very well should be.”

“I am,” he assured. “At least I think I am.”

“Think or know?”

Sokka held his arm out to her. “Take a turn around the room with me, will you?”

She almost groaned. She had just gone around the room with Satoru and had practically memorized
where everything and everyone was at that point. And she had not even had a chance to eat yet!
“Sokka—”

“Please, T.”

She always liked when he called her T, a nickname no one but he was allowed to call her.

Resentfully, she took one violent bite from her hors d'oeuvre, set it back onto the table, and took his
arm, muttering, “This had better be the apology of the century.”

They walked at a very leisurely pace and in silence for almost a minute—Toph counted—then
Sokka said, “I would like to apologize to you.”

“So I have heard,” she said, arching a brow as they continued their walk. She could tell that a few
of the guests had turned their attention to the two of them and it took all she had within her to not
tell them all off for being so nosy.

Sokka huffed. “I would like to apologize to you for being a whiny little brat.”

Toph could not help but snort. “You were much more than that, but I appreciate the attempt.”

“I am fully aware that I have many, many, many things in my life for which I should be grateful.
And I promise you that I am grateful for them. It was… unforgivably rude for me to complain to
you the way I did. Twice, nonetheless.”

The way his voice sounded and the way his heartbeat felt beneath her feet indicated that he was
bashful and truly apologetic. The fact that he was nervous about this conversation made her feel
strangely boastful, but she held back from mocking him. Instead, she nodded once, opting to be
serious for once. “You have every right to feel your feelings, Sokka, no matter how… incorrect
they might be.”

“But?”

“But if you are so discontent with your situation, you have every opportunity to do something to
change it. It is really that simple.”
Sokka shrugged with his outside shoulder. “That is what I do at present. Malina and Father accuse
me of picking up and leaving the country on a whim, but I tend to do it when—”

“When you are discontent.”

He nodded and Toph bit her cheek as she considered his discomfort. She knew Sokka well, which
is why she also knew that not only did he leave the country because he felt frustrated and
dissatisfied but he also left because he was running away from something. He admitted as much to
her two days before. He did not want to deal with his responsibilities, with his duties. She felt the
same way, but in her case, she had no say in the matter. Toph knew well that she would have been
able to manage her family’s fortune when her parents died or when there were no more Beifong
heirs left to oversee it, but society dictated that women were not to be responsible for wealth and
finances. They were too fragile and simple-minded to do so in her own father’s words.

And even if it were allowed to handle such matters, matters of men, society would also wonder
why a woman was even trusted with such a large fortune in the first place.

Sokka, on the other hand, was an eligible bachelor. He had time to find and declare his intentions
for a woman, and he had options at his disposal. It was just a matter of him finally deciding to do
so.

Toph clicked her tongue and told him, “I think you should publish your journals.”

“Why would I do that?”

“Why not? You have the means to do so.”

He stopped in his tracks as he let go of her arm and remained silent for a moment as he considered
his next words. “Who would read them, Toph?”

“Katara, for one,” she said frankly. “Zuko, Aang, Suki, your parents, myself if I had the
capacities.” A humorous smile. “The list is endless.”

Toph could tell he was grinning as well when he said, “I do not believe it counts if the only people
who buy the book are my friends and family.”

“Why ever not? You know a lot of people, Snoozles. You can use that to your advantage—”

Sokka grabbed her hand. She did not know why, but he did. “Toph, stop.”

“I think Katara told me that you have piles and piles of distant cousins somewhere, and—”

“ Enough,” he tried to say sternly but she could hear the humor in his voice.

They laughed for a bit, her hand still in his as she leaned against the wall she found herself next to,
then she sobered. Toph was not one to hand out compliments, so she only spoke the truth when she
said, “In all sincerity, Sokka, many people will want to read about your travels. You have gone to
so many places that plenty of people have not had the chance to visit. And I recall that the passage
you read for me once was, well… it was wonderful. Very descriptive, which is something I,
personally, greatly appreciate as you may well know.

“Maybe at first, people will want to read them because of your popularity, which is something you
can work to your advantage, but later on, it will become something that others will not be able to
keep their hands off of. And they will all be clamoring for more.”
When he was silent for more than a few moments, she knew that she had finally gotten those dusty
gears in his head to shift. What she told him was nothing short of reality; she was confident he
would succeed. And if what he claimed he needed was a purpose, giving meaning to his travels
was sure to be a prosperous route.

Finally, he said, “I do not want to be a triumph because of my family or my popularity.”

If they had not been in public, Toph would have smacked him. “Sometimes I must truly wonder if
you are a halfwit or if you only feign to be one. I have just finished telling you that—”

“What are you two talking about?” Suki asked very curiously as she materialized at Toph’s side.
Katara was with her.

“Nothing,” they both muttered at the same time in response.

She did not know who let go of whose hand first or when, but she found that hers felt cold
suddenly despite her gloves.

A snort. “Do not insult me. It was not nothing you were talking about. Toph looked as though she
was about to eject you back to the Southern Water Tribe, Sokka.”

“Your friend is being obtuse.”

“Well, Toph, that is nothing new.” Katara scoffed.

Sokka gaped. “Now you two wait a moment—”

“But just what,” Suki probed, ignoring him entirely, “is he being obtuse about?”

“It is a private matter, Sooks,” he said with a dramatic sigh. “Nothing of importance to you.”

“Which makes it all the more interesting,” Katara said, nudging Toph’s arm expectantly.

Toph shrugged. “I’m sorry, but I cannot say.”

Katara and Suki looked at each other, then turned back to Toph. It was Katara who said, “I cannot
believe this. You are truly not going to say.”

“Nope.”

Suki scoffed in mock disbelief, echoing Katara’s words. “I cannot believe this.”

“Believe it,” Sokka beamed. “She is on my side.”

Toph rolled her eyes. “Do not try your luck with me tonight, Sokka.”

He ignored her and turned to Suki. “Do you know what you need?”

“Me?”

“A husband.”

“And you, a wife. A problem that can be solved… right now, actually. By present company.”

His heartbeat accelerated. “I do hope that you are not proposing to me, Suki. I shall have to say that
I politely decline.”
“Do not force my hand and have me start spilling truths, dear friend.”

“Truths?” Toph asked, her curiosity piqued. “What truths?”

Suki smiled. “It is now I who must decline to answer your question. I cannot say, I am afraid,” she
said, repeating Toph’s words from earlier.

Toph grumbled and sent Suki her best glare. “This is unfair.”

“As is life.”

Sokka laughed loudly. “Suki is always unfair.”

Katara sighed. “Now, children, this is not the place to argue.”

As Suki and Sokka continued to bicker, Toph’s curiosity dissipated due to the comedic scene
before her and ended up thinking nothing of their exchange. As they continued their petty
argument, she laughed until she saw the perfect opportunity to bid her adieus for the night and tell
her parents that she was not feeling terribly well. After warding off their questions and telling them
that she was likely just overtired, she slipped away as she secured her cloak around herself.

She knew that Fen complied with their plan of hiring a hack chaise to take her to and from the
tournament, so once she was outside and felt her way over to it, she entered the carriage, her
traveling cloak hood over her head, and off she went.

She searched for the small bag that was meant to be tucked in the left corner by the seat. Toph
opened it quickly and used her instincts to slip on her tweaked Rumble outfit and mask correctly.

The secrecy reminded her of the many, many times she left balls and soirées with her friends for
her previous competitions. Despite their reservations, they always supported her. Always.

To be honest, she missed them being by her side a great deal.

However, when she arrived and set her feet on the ground, easily and discreetly making her way
down to the arena, her nostalgia melted away. It was completely forgotten when the announcer
called, “Introducing, the Blind Bandit.”

And the crowd went wild.

 Chapter 7
Chapter Notes

Hi again - popping in to say that the second-half of this chapter is one of my favorites I
wrote for this fic, and to also tell the Azulaang enthusiasts that this is where its starts
hehe (they're not super prominent in this fic, but you'll see why and hopefully the
crumbs scattered throughout are good enough lol)

And because I’m an absolute idiot, I didn’t see this AMAZING piece art for this fic
from one of my favorite people ever until yesterday. Thank you SO much for this,
Mooney. I’m not even exaggerating when I say that I tear up every time I look at it lol

Hope you enjoy!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

“Toph Beifong!”

Toph threw her head back and groaned at the sound of her mother’s voice as it approached her
bedchamber. From her tone, she knew that Poppy was on her way to give her a scolding. For what?
She had not a clue.

Prior to hearing the screech that was her mother’s voice calling out her name, Toph had been
blissfully replaying the night before in her head. She had made up with Sokka, spent a good time
with her friends at a less-than-impressive musicale, and her match… The match had gone
swimmingly, with her having been declared victorious after every single round she participated in.
She was fueled by the sound of the crowd screaming her name and the average amount of time it
took for her to vanquish her competition.

Not even during previous matches did she feel that exhilarated.

When she snuck into her home that night several gold and silver pieces richer, she was happy to
note that her parents had not yet arrived. It was about two hours past midnight at that point, and
she had already planned for Lao and Poppy to not be in the household. It was rare that they ever
returned from an event before three in the morning, especially if their friends and alcohol were
involved.

Fen had been waiting for her inside the house, right where Toph snuck in underground and into the
basement. The two of them rushed over to Toph’s chambers and excitedly whispered about the
happenings at the match, whether or not the competition was fierce—it was not; not in comparison
to her. And though there was an upcoming match that week, she was not going to participate in it;
more important things were to be focused on. She had to search for students for her academy.

Toph thought about how she would even find students who had the potential of metalbending. To
that point, she was the only metalbender that she knew of. It was an extremely rare bending art and
it was long before she discovered that she was even able to unlock her potential to do so. Therefore,
she knew that not every earthbender was going to be capable of it, no matter how much she hoped
for it.
In the morning, Toph awoke with a rare smile on her face, despite the small amount of sleep she
got due to the prior night’s events. She rose with a start, even before Fen had come from her
quarters to fetch her. Her morning dress was on, her very light layer of cosmetics as well, and her
hair was perfectly placed when her mother had called out for her and burst into her room.

“What,” Poppy started, shoving parchment into Toph’s face, “is the meaning of this?

“If by this you are referring to whatever it is you are holding out before me, Mother, I do hope you
plan on elaborating.”

“The gossips are saying that you and the viscount’s son were seen together for most of the
musicale last night and that you barely paid any heed to Xiansheng Satoru,” Poppy explained,
positively fussed. “You are in the middle of a courtship with a very suitable young man, and I do
not want anything—or anyone —to hinder that.

“You may secure yourself a proposal soon and if Xiansheng Satoru does not see that you are
interested in him, this may not come to fruition. And unless you plan on marrying the viscount’s
son, I do not expect you to frolic with him in this way any longer, daughter.”

Toph felt her cheeks warm up. The fact that the gossips reported on her not paying attention to
Satoru barely bothered her; instead, it was what they were insinuating. The last thing she wanted
was for people to believe that she and her friend were interested in each other when that could not
have been farther from the truth.

And she also did not even want a proposal from Satoru, to begin with, so from a personal
standpoint, she failed to see the issue. From a high society standpoint, however, it was more than
evident why her mother was upset.

“Why are you even reading those things? And why would you ever believe them?”

“Because, dearest, it is what everyone else believes and that is what matters.”

“Of course it is, Mother.”

Poppy huffed. “I do not appreciate your tone. But no matter. We should be happy this morning.”

“And why is that?”

“We are expecting your gentleman for brunch this morning. He eagerly accepted my invitation
when I sent it yesterday.”

She bit down on her tongue. Satoru had not mentioned coming to brunch at the musicale last night,
but then again, they were actually speaking about things that mattered to them both, so it was
understandable that he would forget to mention it. He did not seem like the swindling type, either.
Her mother and father forgetting to mention it, on the other hand, was completely intentional.

And rather fair because Toph would have tried to find a way out of it had she known about it ahead
of time.

Still, Toph was not in the mood to entertain anyone that morning. She was too busy being over the
moon about how unsurprisingly well she had done with the Rumble the night before. Not to
mention that she also had to begin looking for students—something she was going to do that
morning that she now had to postpone.

She was not very happy about that.

But if she was to make her parents believe that she was all for this courtship and all for the
eventual proposal and marriage, she had to do as she did best and pretend. It was only a matter of
time Satoru asked her father for her hand, anyhow. So Toph gave her mother one curt nod, told her
to allow her more time to finish readying herself, and was finally left alone with Fen.

Toph made a sound between a moan and a groan. “I am going to run away.”

“Stop being dramatic,” Fen sat down by Toph on her bed.

“I am not. I am going to do as Azula did and simply abandon society. I do believe that this will
solve all of my problems… And you may join me. It will be a wonderful time, indeed.”

Fen laughed and began to fuss with Toph’s hair again. The idea of exiting society was not a new
one for Toph, and she had seriously pondered upon it many a time. It would have legitimately
resolved all of her troubles—she would be free to do what she pleased, she would be able to make a
living for her own self, she would be in charge of her own life, and most importantly, she would
not have to get married. But running away meant giving up on changing things for the world she
lived in and she was not ready to do such a thing yet.

It took her mother about fifteen more minutes to send one of the Beifong footmen to summon her
to brunch in the dining room. It had taken all she had within her to not grunt as she walked
downstairs. She did not mind enjoying a meal with Satoru, but having to sit with him and her
parents was going to be terribly agonizing.

And as soon as she stepped foot onto the first floor and into the dining room, Toph knew that she
was right.

She could feel poor Satoru’s heart a pace away from bursting out of his chest as her father probed
him about the most invasive topics. When she sat down, Lao was asking him about his intentions
with his daughter in that stern voice he loved using to intimidate people.

“Leave the man alone, Father. I am sure that he shall have enough time for you to berate him with
your questions some other time,” Toph said as she took her seat next to Satoru at the table. She
could feel his relief at her presence and she almost laughed. Poor fellow.

“Good morning to you, too, daughter,” Lao replied tightly. “I was merely having a… conversation
with Xiansheng Satoru.”

“A conversation is between two or more people if I recall. That seemed more like an
interrogation.”

Likely sensing the tension between Toph and her father, Poppy cleared her throat and clapped her
hands. “Since you are finally here, dearest, we may begin to eat! I am sure Cook has made our
favorite brunch dishes this morning,” she turned to Satoru. “You are going to love what he whips
up, I am sure.”

After giving her mother a fake smile and nod, Toph leaned over to Satoru and whispered, “Do be
sure to vocalize if you do not like the menu.”

Satoru had to take hold of his napkin and cough into it to keep from laughing. “I cannot do such a
thing.”

“I would not blame you if you did, however.”

It took a lot for Satoru not to laugh at Toph’s cautious commentary throughout the brunch. She
believed that if she continued making deprecating jokes, it would cut through the tension more
easily. In her opinion, it seemed to have worked because Satoru’s nerves were not as unsettled as
they had been when she walked in and she was glad of it.

The hour they spent at the table making polite conversation was long but not as bad as it could
have been, in truth. He mentioned when her mother asked that he would not be attending the ball
that was taking place that night because he was to travel to Chin Village on some business; he said
he would be gone for three days at least.

To Toph’s relief, she would not have to deal with her mother questioning her about Satoru every
five minutes after the ball.

She made sure to avoid any questions about what came after their courtship when the conversation
continued because she did not have the mental bandwidth to deal with such discussions that
morning.

Or ever.

When they had all finished their food, Satoru announced that he had to take his leave due to having
to prepare for his journey that evening. Toph graciously offered to accompany him on the way out.

He took her hand and pressed a kiss upon it once by the front door. “Thank you for having me.”

“Oh, no. This was not my doing.” Toph shook her head. “I would not have exposed you—or
anyone—to the chaos that is my family if I had had a choice in the matter.”

“Well, I would certainly endure this and more if it meant spending more time with you.”

She cleared her throat, not knowing what else to do. “Have a wonderful rest of your day, Satoru.”

He bobbed his head in her direction, gave her hand a squeeze, and slipped away, boarding his
carriage along with his valet and riding down Lianhu Road.

Toph brought a hand to her forehead and sighed. She felt like a horrible person. She had to put an
end to the courtship. Something that she would tell herself constantly was that he deserved the best
the ton had to offer.

And she was not that for him. Not by a long shot.

The sculptures in the room Toph had wandered into at the Gei ball were quite impressive. Many of
them were unfamiliar to her as they were from sculptors she had not yet explored, but she was
nonetheless satisfied with their work.

Art exhibits were valueless to her, but whenever she found one with sculptures, she had to stop and
examine them. She was obviously drawn to them because they were made from earth, but she was
always impressed by what people were able to do with them.

Toph exhaled, backed into a cushioned seat, and let herself fall into it. The commotion inside the
ballroom was too much for her that evening and she had to get away for a little while, so she did
some surveying and stumbled upon the Gei family’s gallery. She did not know how long she had
been in there, but no one had come to fetch her and tell her that she should not have been. So she
stayed.

She let her head rest against the seat’s backplate and shut her eyes, listening to the orchestra play
faintly in the ballroom. It was the most relaxed she had felt in a while, completely alone, with no
one there to bother her or ask her to dance. Even if for a few moments, she felt content and calm.

…Until Aang traipsed into the room.

Had it not been for her feet being firmly placed on the ground, she would not have noticed him—
that was how peaceful she found herself. He was so quiet and reluctant, however, that she furrowed
her brows as she lifted her head. “What is it?”

“I have been looking all over for you.”

His tone worried her, so she repeated, “Aang… what is it?”

He must have noticed that he was troubling her and he quickly said, “No, no. Pardon me. I just—”

“You just?”

“I need to tell you something.”

Toph nibbled at her bottom lip, slightly concerned at the rate of her friend’s heartbeat. Aang never
came to her with anything, so it had to be serious. “Are you—are you well, Aang?”

“I am quite well, or rather, not. Er, I—I just—I have a… confession of sorts, and I cannot keep it to
myself any longer.”

Her eyes widened a bit. Had he discovered her secret? Impossible. Aang was possibly the least
perceptive person she had ever met.

She nodded at him as he joined her on the chair. “You may confide in me.”

“You must promise that you will not say a word to anyone.”

“Swear it.”

Aang took a deep, shaky breath. “I am engaging in a correspondence with a… with a lady.”

Her eyebrow lifted in interest as she leaned forward with spiked curiosity. Aang was stringent
when it came to societal rules; he always prided himself on being a gentleman and whatnot, so the
fact that he was corresponding with someone—a woman, nevertheless—was quite the big deal.
“May I ask whom?”

“That is… that is where it becomes slightly complicated.”

“Was it not complicated from the moment you began corresponding with an unmarried lady? That
is all sorts of improper, Twinkle Toes. I expected more from a duke such as yourself.”

“Dash it, Toph. You know what I mean,” he grumbled frustratedly. “Are you going to listen to me
or not? Because if I do not tell someone about this, I may actually combust.”

She held back a snort. “Go on, then. Inquiring minds would like to know.”

“The lady is… she is Nǚshì Azula.”

Despite herself, Toph’s jaw dropped. Azula? “You—Zuko’s sister Azula? The one woman who up
and left society as a whole nearly ten years ago Azula? Aang…”
“I know, I know,” Aang said, running his hand over his bald head as he stood and paced back and
forth.

“How did you two even begin corresponding?”

“Well, she accidentally sent a letter to my address, inquiring about purchasing a splitting ax—you
know, the axes that you split firewood with?—because they don’t have any good enough shops for
them down in Whale Tail, apparently, and she was so nice that I could not just leave her letter
unanswered.”

“Of course not.”

“And so I grabbed my stationery set and my quill and I penned a letter to her, telling her that I
believe that she had the incorrect address, but if she needed me to, I would be happy to send her the
split ax that she needed. I also identified myself.”

“And she responded.”

“And she responded,” Aang confirmed with a tender sigh as he sat beside her again. “And she
remembered me, Toph! I—I have gotten to know her the way I have never gotten to know anyone
before—the way I have never wanted to know anyone. And I cannot speak of it because I fear that
Zuko may want to commit amicicide and I am not prepared for that.”

“Not to mention your image.”

“That also,” Aang huffed, bringing his hand to his bald head. “But I fear Zuko’s wrath the most.”

Toph had never witnessed Aang so nervous and off-balance before the way he was now. He was
the tranquil one out of the group. For him to be so restless and uneasy was a true rarity, indeed.

Not knowing what else to say, she cleared her throat and patted his knee. “Sounds like you find
yourself in a rough spot, huh?”

He groaned and stood up. “You are truly no help, Toph Beifong.”

“What did you want me to say??”

“Literally, anything but that. You—that was very unhelpful.”

Toph rolled her eyes, pulling her legs up onto the chair and crossing them beneath her. “You never
said anything about wanting advice .”

“I did not think I had to say it!” he exclaimed, then looked around to see if anyone was nearby. He
lowered his voice. “Just—please do not tell a soul. Not even Katara. Especially not Zuko.”

“I will not, I promise. You have my word.”

“Your word on what?”

Toph exhaled when she heard Sokka’s voice. It was lucky that Aang had stopped speaking about
his matter before Sokka found his way into the art room. Their friend was many things, but he also
could not be trusted with a secret for the life of him, save for Toph’s hijinks with her past
competitions.

Once, the group was planning a surprise gathering for Katara’s birthday. A good portion of the ton
had been invited considering how well-liked the viscount’s family was, and Sokka ended up
spoiling the whole thing within hours of the idea’s conception.

The imbecile.

She shook her head at Sokka and said, “nothing,” before Aang almost swooned right then and there
as he thought of how to respond to him.

Sokka crossed his arms over his chest. “Aang—”

“I must take my leave,” Aang said in a comically proper voice, all but speeding out of the room.
“Good evening to you both.”

When Aang had gone, Sokka took his place next to Toph. “What is his problem?”

She shrugged. “What does he not make his problem, honestly?”

“Capital point,” Sokka muttered, leaning back into the seat, making himself comfortable. “Where
is your suitor tonight?” he asked.

“He had some business to tend to outside of Gaoling,” Toph replied simply. “It gives me some
respite from”—she gestured toward the door that led into the ballroom—“all of that.”

“Must be well overdue, I am sure,” Sokka said quietly as she set one of her feet back onto the
ground just out of curiosity. She wanted to feel his heartbeat; see whether he was calm or anxious.

The answer was the latter.

She raised a brow and wondered if she was ever going to get tired of hearing people’s problems
tonight. “What troubles you?”

The question seemed to startle him out of his little daze. He turned to her and shook his head.
“Nothing troubles me—”

“Sokka.”

He huffed frustratedly and repositioned himself on the chair to look at her. His knee was pressing
into her thigh and she could not stop herself from being completely aware of it. It was aggravating.
“I have something to give you.”

That was what was troubling him? She made another face, one that she was sure conveyed a cross
between irritation and confusion as she waited for him to continue.

“I forgot to give this to you when I came back from my tour, and I, uh, I continue to forget to do so
for some reason until I come face to face with it,” Sokka admitted sheepishly with a little laugh as
he pulled something out of his pocket and toyed with it for a few seconds. “I managed to bring it
this evening because I left it near my bedchamber door to remind myself to do so.”

She could tell that what he had in his hand was of interest to her, but she could not put her finger on
what exactly it was. From where she sat, she noticed that it was some kind of rock… but she was
not sure which. She nibbled on the inside of her cheek for a bit before asking, “What is it?”

“I am not… quite sure. I think it is a meteorite? I found it in Shu Shing during my travels—I visited
Master Piandao,” he cleared his throat, grabbed her hand gently, and placed the object in the center
of her palm. “Anyway, uh, the moment I saw it, I— I thought of you. Uh, well, I mean to say that
it… had a certain look to it and it struck me as something you may like. I do not think you have
 ever bent anything quite like it. So… I do hope you like it.”

Toph peeled off her right glove—annoying as it was, considering that the pair she was wearing
was tailored for the evening and were elbow-length—and felt the small mass he had just given her.
It was irregularly shaped, much like the many rocks she had in her collection, and it felt similar to
many of the ones she owned, only this one had a different texture to it that she was unable to put
her finger on.

Meteorite.

Wanting to give the room a scan for safety, Toph stomped the ground and confirmed that no one
but the two of them inhabited the space. Biting back a smile, she melded the unfamiliar rock into
different shapes, testing out its bendability. She was immediately satisfied by the ease with which
it was manipulated.

As an idea popped into her head, she bit down on her bottom lip and reshaped the rock into a thin
cuff, and slid it onto her bicep just beneath her sleeve. She beamed at him. “You were right—I do
like it.”

His heartbeat was quick. She assumed it was because of his nerves regarding her thoughts on the
gift. “Good, uh, great. I am glad.”

“You should be.”

“Well, I am.”

“I believe that we have established as much.”

Sokka huffed. “I do not know why or how I put up with you.”

“Oh, that is quite simple,” Toph said, knocking her elbow against his ribs. “You could not bear to
live without me. Your life would be quite dull.”

He was silent for a few seconds until he hummed and returned her gesture. “It would be, indeed.”

Chapter End Notes

shit goes down next chapter

 Chapter 8
Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

About a week after last, and as quietly as she could, Toph walked down the steps into the first-floor
drawing room, hoping against hope that her mother and father would not hear. The last thing she
wanted was to have to answer questions about where she was going—truthfully, she did not even
know herself. All she knew was that Fen told her about a place in the city where many an
earthbender roamed. She did not have a plan, but she knew that she might have the chance to
survey potential students. And she did not need her parents interrogating her regarding her
whereabouts and plans that morning.

But as she brought her foot down onto the last step, she tripped, and a painfully loud creak from
the wooden banister sounded about.

Dash it all.

“Toph, my dear, are you going somewhere?”

Toph pursed her lips and swallowed the curses she so badly wanted to say. Quickly, she concocted
a lie. “Yes, Mother, I am. To…to the viscount’s home. For tea. And a chat… With Katara,” she
said.

Now that she had told her mother she was going to Naitok House, Toph was going to have to alter
her plans and trot to the viscount’s dwelling. If she did not, it was likely that her mother would find
out that she had not been there and question her about it. The parents talked every once in a while
and Poppy managed to frequent the married ladies’ club Lady Malina owned. Toph could not
afford to take any chances.

As much as it put her out of her way, it would not be a complete waste of a trip, Toph supposed.
She would get to see Katara, whom she had not seen in a few days. She was usually found at her
father and Malina’s home during her afternoons instead of at her own in order to spend time with
them. It was not often the family found themselves in the same area and the social season allowed
them to see each other frequently.

It had also been about a week since she had last seen Sokka. She wondered if he fled Gaoling in
order to escape the season and his stepmother’s prodding about marriage and baby-making and
whatnot. It was something he usually did when he felt suffocated during the summer. Especially
after what the gossip rags had reported about them previously.

Toph could not exactly blame him as she was attempting to avoid a marriage proposal from Satoru
as it was. She almost pretended to swoon to get out of being proposed to a few days ago.

“Oh, very well, then,” said her mother finally.

She bit her tongue again before asking, “Should you need something while I am away?”

“That is not something to concern yourself with. It is what our servants and staff are for,” Poppy
said, waving a dismissive hand at her daughter and Toph held back the urge to roll her eyes. Her
parents depended too much on their servants—every person of the ton did—but Toph did not
believe in that. If she had the faculties, she would do what needed to be done herself, a philosophy
her parents very much disagreed with. “You go and enjoy yourself, my dear. Maybe even entertain
some more suitors while you are out. A forthcoming proposal should not stop you from keeping
your eyes open for prospects.”

Had this woman not scolded her some time ago about how being seen with Sokka or any other
eligible gentleman would hinder her chances at marriage? Poppy Beifong would be the death of
Toph.

“I would rather die, Mother, but thank you for your wonderful suggestion.” Toph bowed her head
in her mother’s direction, brushing past her and toward the outdoors. In her wake, she could hear
her mother complaining about how she could at least be bothered to wear proper shoes as opposed
to soleless ones, but Toph did not break her stride because she simply could not deal with her
mother for longer.

In a huff, she walked in the direction of Hakoda’s home, thoughts of ejecting both her mother and
father out of the country freely floating in her head. She quite understood their intentions, she did,
but they angered her still.

As she walked, she allowed the cool wind to calm her down. The summer air was always warm,
but on the rarest of occasions, it was as lovely as it had been that day. So she slowed her stride and
managed to relax.

The rock Sokka had gifted her the week prior was proudly attached to her right bicep, and she
loved the feeling of it. Having something of value to her on her person made her feel incredibly
happy and close to her element.

But she had also noticed that it reacted to certain people. Some days ago, she had been walking to
the grand opening of a pastry shop with Zuko. He had appeared at her house to call on her and
invite her on a promenade, and she had been particularly craving tarts that day. As they roamed,
she noticed that her bracelet began to shiver upon her arm when certain people walked by her.
Confused, Toph brought her hand up to it to feel it almost vibrating against her skin.

Zuko asked her if anything was amiss, and she just shook her head, telling him to order ahead and
he complied with slight hesitation. When he left her alone, her eyebrows knitted together and she
looked around. Someone walked past her and the bracelet shuddered more strongly.

What the feeling meant was a mystery to her—but it seemed significant enough to note.

Still in a bit of a daze over what had occurred that day, Toph had not noticed that she managed to
make it to Naitok House in record time. She shook the memory out of her head and only gave one
knock on the door before one of the family’s footmen welcomed her and escorted her to Katara’s
family home’s bedchamber.

“Oh! I was not expecting you today!” Katara exclaimed, running up to Toph to give her a hug.
“But it is a most welcome surprise.”

Toph awkwardly patted Katara’s back. “Nothing much was happening at home, so I got out while I
was able to.”

“Well, that is wonderful because the boys are all here and I really had nothing else to do other than
reading,” she admitted, pulling Toph to the drawing room next door to her chambers. The smell of
tea and biscuits flooded Toph’s nose and she could not help but take a deep breath to savor the
scent. “Papa invited them for shooting and the three of them have been murdering ceramic disks all
afternoon.”
“Three?”

Katara nodded. “Sokka returned from a brief sabbatical just this morning. He was away for a week
and did not bother to tell us wherever he went, the fool.”

A fool, indeed, Toph thought. She knew this man so well that it was frightening. She nodded at
Katara in acknowledgment, then said, “That sounds fun, actually—the shooting.”

“Of course you would find that fun,” Katara groaned, shutting the door behind her as the servants
brought their tea before they sat. It was a small room that Toph quite liked. It was simple and there
was not much in her life that was as such, it seemed.

Everything, from the moment she became aware of her family’s status (and even before), was
overly extravagant, making her long for even a bit of simplicity. And as funny as it was, any bit of
that she was able to get her hands on, she was grateful for.

“That is, Sugar Queen, because it is fun,” Toph replied, a small smirk on her lips as she brought her
teacup to her lips. It was Songluo tea, she quickly noticed, happy that it was already at a perfect
sipping temperature. “You just do not possess the taste to believe as much.”

There was some silence from Katara for a moment. “Why are you and I friends?”

“A wonderful question.”

Katara grabbed a biscuit from the basket in front of them and took a bite. “I have yet another
wonderful question for you, now that you mention wonderful questions.”

“This should be interesting,” Toph mumbled, grabbing a wafer out of the same basket.

“Oh, hush. But I was wondering if you have heard those rumors.”

“Uh, what… what rumors, Katara?”

Her friend’s voice dropped to a whisper and Toph leaned toward her to listen. “I heard—or rather
overheard—the footmen speaking of a bending contest taking place. It seems as though it is
replacing the Earth Rumble. They mentioned how it is already better than it, what with the
competitors' performances. I am not sure how true this is, but it does seem like a fantastically big
deal considering how Five was shut down.”

Toph very well almost choked on her wafer. Of course she knew about it.

It was lucky Katara had not managed to dig around for information on the academy idea just yet.
The woman had a great ability to sniff out good gossip, and a bending academy was most definitely
good gossip.

“I know not of what you speak,” Toph responded after recomposing herself, giving Katara a shrug
of indifference for good measure. “Though, I find that this is a most adventurous endeavor, indeed,
considering the—the dangers Five presented recently. I truly cannot bring myself to believe it.”

“I understand. And I am so sorry about the Rumble once again,” Katara consoled, reaching over
the table to take and squeeze Toph’s hand. “But look at it this way: you will not be getting into any
kind of legal trouble now, will you? Bending at home or out of duty is a much different stunt than
doing so in a public space where you may risk getting caught—I am well aware of how much that
angers you, it angers me so as well. Still, though, I know that you abandoned the contests some
time ago, but my mind is now at ease because you will not be going to jail any time soon. Will you?
Especially with that new tournament?”

Toph laughed ironically, thoughts of her academy in her mind. “Mm, certainly is a shame that I
will not be visiting the inside of a cell anytime soon.”

The women laughed and Toph continued to enjoy her tea and her wafers and Katara’s company.
She told Toph about how she had missed her family. Katara was very close to her father and
stepmother as well as to Sokka, and despite having been married, she still enjoyed her time with
them.

Toph supposed that this would be the only benefit of getting married—finally being able to move
out of her parents’ home; at last out from under their constant viewership. It is probably what she
wanted the most, but leaving one’s parent’s home as an unmarried woman had its consequences.
Some such that Toph still did not have the desire to understand.

“...being an aunt,” she half-heard Katara say when she decided to tune back into the conversation
that was supposed to be happening between them.

“I— wait. Pardon?”

A sigh. “You did not hear anything I just said.”

“I am afraid not.”

“I said that I hope you do not have any fears of being an aunt,” Katara repeated, only a bit of
exasperation in her tone.

Toph’s back straightened up immediately. “Are you—you are with child?”

“Oh, no,” she laughed, giving Toph’s knee a pat. “I would assume you would catch wind of that
before I did what with your abilities. I only meant that I will be considering you my would-be
child’s aunt…and guardparent. That is if you do not mind.”

Toph relaxed and knitted her brows together. “I shall be there for the thing when it arrives. And I
do hope that for its sake, it is a boy. It should not have to endure what you and I have.”

“That is awful, Toph,” Katara laughed, then turned a bit solemn. “I just—Zuko and I have spoken
about having children and what would happen if I were to come to be with child. We have been
married for nearly five years and people are questioning when Zuko will get his heir. I am under
so much pressure because with his position and title comes a very large burden for our future
child… And it places a significant amount of pressure on me as well.”

“Because you must sire an heir.”

“Because I must sire an heir. Precisely,” she confirmed. “It is not as though I do not want to be a
part of bringing a new fire lord into the world because I do, I just—what if I am unable to—”

Toph reached out and took her friend’s hand. “No. You are meant to be a mother, Sugar Queen,
and I will not stand to hear anything different. And if this is about the potential of you not giving
birth to a boy, then so be it. Let it be the start of the matriarchy.”

“Do not jest.”

“I would never. Not about this at least. Just imagine a female fire lord brought to the world by a
gifted waterbender. A female fire lord who you birthed. And the fact that you would be her mother
is most appropriate, in my opinion.”

And Toph meant it. Katara would be an amazing mother; she had never been so sure of something
before. Her friend was the most maternal person she had ever met. Sure, it was sometimes
annoying to Toph how motherly Katara was a lot of the time when it came to it, but there was no
one fitter to be a mother than she.

Katara sniffled emotionally. “Truly?”

With a huff and an eye roll, Toph replied, “I would not be saying so if it was not. And maybe this
child of yours can bestow upon us the legality of bending, so I will be waiting for that day to
come.”

“Perhaps. We may actually be allowed spar in public,” Katara replied with a watery laugh. Then
she sniffled again, abruptly saying, “I am—I am going to hug you now.”

“Oh,” Toph said monotonously. “Joy.”

But when Katara stood to embrace her, Toph could not resist embracing her back.

For the rest of the hour, the women chatted about nothing and everything. There was business that
Katara knew that Toph did not and there was business that Toph knew that Katara did not, so they
gossiped as women did. They spoke so much that they had to have another round of tea, biscuits,
and wafers sent upstairs. They were very parched after the first half-hour they talked.

“I shall see myself out, then,” Toph told Katara after finishing her last biscuit. It was becoming late
afternoon and she did not want to rush to get ready for an event she did not wish to go to in the first
place. “And we shall meet again at the garden soirée at dusk.”

Katara simply nodded and bade her friend adieu as Toph walked out of the room and down the
stairs.

She took her time on her way out of the house, enjoying the coolness of the floor tiles against her
feet, and listening to the chirping birds outside. It was then that her ears picked up on another
sound—three male voices. Three male voices that belonged to her friends. Toph allowed a small
smile as she heard Zuko and Aang questioning Sokka about his recent whereabouts throughout the
past week.

Frankly, she was curious to know if she had been correct about why he had left. Slight
eavesdropping never harmed anyone, did it? So she got as close to the room as possible without
fear of notifying them of her presence.

“So brother dearest,” Zuko said, throwing himself on a chair and swirling around a glass with ice.
“You have yet to tell us why you ran away. You had Katara worried sick, by the by.”

“I did not run —”

Aang chortled. “You ran. You sped up and out of here like an eel-hound with a vengeance, Sokka.”

“Oh, very well,” Sokka said in what sounded like defeat, setting his drink on a nearby table. “I
needed to get away for a moment because Malina has been talking about marriage non-stop, telling
me that—that mama would have wanted me to be happy and settled down by now.”

Zuko sighed. “That is not new.”

“That is quite correct. But what is new is that, for some reason, the list of eligible young ladies
now includes Toph. Toph! Malina has been trying to get me to court her for years, but after that
gossip report about us at the musicale… it has gotten worse.”

Her eyes widened. Why would anyone consider Toph for Sokka? And why would Malina of all
people bring Toph up in any conversations involving a union between her stepson and his close
friend? One part of her wanted to sneak out of the house and go on as if she had not heard a peep
concerning this conversation; the other part, well, was decidedly curious enough to remain. The
latter part of her had won the battle.

The defensiveness for Toph in Zuko’s voice was palpable when he retorted, “I fail to see the
issue.”

“Oh, well, the issue, my friend is that—” Sokka huffed as if he were looking for the proper words
to explain himself. “I have known Toph for a long time. We—the two of us have many years of
friendship between us, indeed.”

It was Aang who spoke this time. “Is that meant to be a bad thing?”

“I—no. Not in the slightest. She is my best friend. I suppose that my point is that I have known her
for what feels like forever, and the same is true with her, I am sure, so I can assure you that I will
not be falling in love with her anytime soon.”

Toph’s breath caught in her throat. Why on Earth would they be speaking about this? She was
certain that she had never divulged anything in regard to Sokka to anyone—not even to Zuko, who
prodded and prodded despite Toph never reacting to his assumptions. And it was not as though she
found herself to be in love with the man. The mere thought of it was ridiculous.

Aang snorted, slapped his thigh, and turned to Zuko to say, “Mark my words—Toph and Sokka
will be married to one another by the end of the year.”

“Aang!” Sokka exclaimed scoldingly. “That is hardly appropriate!”

Hardly appropriate!

“Perhaps the end of the following,” Zuko said nonchalantly. “He is young yet. So too is she.”

The earl guffawed. “And did he not just recently share a moment with her—”

“Several, actually.”

At that, Toph felt herself redden. What could they possibly be alluding to? The spar? Their
dances? Nothing was amiss about that, nothing was out of the ordinary. Her heart was soon going
to beat out of her chest, surely. She cared not for society, but she also did not fancy being ruined
and cast out of it, especially with her family’s prominence, based on assumptions.

“Mhm, and the rock he got her.”

Zuko hummed. “Oh yes, it was a gem, that gift.”

“Not a gem, actually. A meteorite.”

“How interesting.”

“And how much more interesting is it that he ran away just after he gave her the gift? Very
coincidental timing, that.”

There was an exaggeratedly dramatic groan followed by an exasperated grunt. “None of this is of
any matter because I am not going to marry anytime soon. And I am most certainly not going to
marry Toph Beifong! In fact, I would never dream of doing so; not in your wildest fantasies.”

Before she was able to even react to what was said about her, a surprised scoff left her mouth,
making her presence known to her friends, whose heartbeats sped up significantly. Her previous
panic suddenly melted away in favor of offense.

Sokka cleared his throat. “Toph,” he squeaked, sounding as though he had regressed fifteen years
and gone right back to puberty, “uh, good to see you.”

Had it not been for the way the situation had altered her mood, Toph might have laughed at the
way he sounded, what he said, the way his heart was erratically beating in his chest and into the
ground. She would have goaded him about it until she turned blue in the face. But she could not
bring herself to even smile. Not one bit.

“I did not know you were there,” Sokka added lamely.

It was then that Toph decided to allow her lips to twitch upward slightly, though the smile was not
humorous, she knew that much. “Obviously not.”

He swallowed audibly. “You were visiting Katara?”

“I was clearly not visiting you.”

He was silent, adding to the heightened state of discomfort in the room from all parties. Besides
the sound of the blowing wind just outside, Toph was sure that she could have heard a pin drop if
she listened hard enough.

She felt unsettled, but she was not about to let three men sit and stare pityingly at her, so she
calmly remarked, “I do not recall ever asking you to marry me, Sokka.”

His mouth opened, but no sound came out, and Toph was certain that it had been the first time her
friend had ever been truly speechless. So she continued speaking.

“Nor do I recall myself telling someone that I was desirous for you to ask me,” she said, taking a
few secure and poised steps in his direction, stopping only when there were a few feet between
them. She could feel his compulsion to take the same amount of steps in retreat but he resisted
doing so. “Or does my memory deceive me? I should think it does not; it never does.”

“Toph,” Sokka said shakily, finally finding his voice, it seemed. “I am so sorry.”

“You have absolutely nothing to apologize for.”

Sokka found his footing, taking desperate steps toward her and stopping when she raised her hand
to halt him. He gulped. “But I do, Toph, I—I hurt your feelings and—”

“My feelings are not hurt, and please, do not give yourself such monumental importance to believe
you have hurt them,” Toph jabbed, happy to feel him wince the iciness in her tone. “You did not
even know of my presence until the moment I made it known.”

“Nevertheless—”
“You are not going to marry me because it is beyond your wildest fantasies to do so. I have heard
you,” Toph laughed dryly, keenly aware of the tension in the room. She gestured over to Aang.
“And I am not going to marry Twinkle Toes over there.”

Aang, who had been attempting to keep himself busy with anything that would allow him to avoid
the predicament before him, snapped to attention at the mention of his name. “Huh?”

“It does not hurt Aang’s feelings when I say that I will not be marrying him, does it, Aang?”

“Uh, no. It—it does not, Toph. Of course it does not.”

Of course, because Aang’s interests were elsewhere, not because he was utterly repulsed by the
idea of marrying her. Toph hummed in approval with one curt nod. “Very interesting, indeed. I
believe that this matter is now settled. No feelings were hurt.”

Sokka stammered, “But Toph—”

“Now,” she continued with a bitter tone to her voice, “I shall be heading home, gentlemen. Please
excuse me, and I shall meet you all in a short time at the garden soirée.”

Toph’s jaw was set and she graciously curtsied in the direction of her friends before she attempted
to take her leave. And she would have made a clean escape had it not been for Sokka suddenly
blurting, “Do you not have a maid with you?”

The urge she had of unleashing every single unladylike expression that she had ever heard was
strong, but regardless, she pushed it down. She would remain uncomfortably poised. “If you must
know, I relieved Fen before I took my leave of Beifong House. And I live not a fifteen-minute walk
away. I do believe that I am able to find my own way home without issue.”

“No, I–I know that, but—”

“I shall escort you, Toph,” Zuko interrupted smoothly. “It is no trouble.”

This bastard. Biting down on her tongue before replying, she said, “I assure you that that is not
necessary, my lord.”

“Nonsense,” her friend replied, standing up and walking up to her. “Just humor me.”

She discreetly sighed and took his arm because she knew that she had no choice in doing so, and
then, the two of them were off. As soon as they were outside, Toph let go of his arm and began to
walk quicker, leaving him behind, though not for long. He caught up in seconds, gently taking her
hand for a second to make her stop.

“Toph?”

“I should like to go home, my lord.”

He quieted, though she knew that he was itching to speak as they walked. After some minutes of
silence, in a strangely respectful voice—one that he seldom used around her—Zuko finally said,
offering his arm again for her to take, “He did not know you were there.”

“And that is exactly why he said just what he did.” She looped her arm through his. “I am well
aware.”

“You know the viscountess has been breathing down his neck about marriage and settling down,
 Toph.”

“It is of no matter, and I do not know why you are finding yourself with the need of explaining his
actions to me,” Toph said bitterly. “I do not care.”

Zuko scoffed. “Right.”

Toph stopped walking, pulling her arm out of his. “I do not need this from you, Zuko.”

“I did not mean to jest. I simply wish you would open your eyes to the fact that you feel—”

“I feel what ?” Toph asked icily, raising her voice more than she would have liked. She cleared her
throat to compose herself, glad that there was no one nearby to witness their tiff. She was angered
and bothered and everything that she did not want to be because of some assertion that should not
have affected her in any way, shape, or form. So why did she feel that way? Why were Sokka’s
words bouncing around in her head and making her chest ache?

“Pardon me—”

“Toph—”

She cleared her throat and when she spoke, her voice sounded nothing like her own—it was far too
proper for her liking, the performative voice she put on whenever she was entrapped in a
conversation with anyone she was not acquainted with. “I am but a few feet from my home and I
can assure you that I will be able to make it there without getting kidnapped or lost on my way if
that is what you so fear. I shall see you this evening and I thank you for accompanying me home.”

Toph did not wait for his reply to continue walking in the direction of her house, up the steps, and
into her room, ignoring the questioning calls from her mother and Fen. After she slammed the door
shut and firmly flicked her hand at it to metalbend it locked, she took to her bed and yanked the
bracelet off her arm, throwing it angrily across her chambers.

She did not want to marry and she did not love Sokka. And granted, she did not need to love Sokka
to marry him, but she still did not want to. She did not want him at all.

So, why then, did she feel the way she felt? Why was she trying to keep the tears in her eyes from
falling?

And why did she feel like she was lying to herself?

Chapter End Notes

another one of my favorite chapters, so i really hope yall enjoyed it despite likely
wanting to kick Sokka's ass into next Sunday

things are starting to heat up and there will be more heat soon :))))
 Chapter 9
Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

Toph ran her hands down the length of her pale green—as Fen had told her—evening dress. It was
another silk number, but she could feel a thin veil of tulle on its bodice with decorative flowers
trailing down in random patterns toward the bottom of the skirt. Her hair, rather than being done in
a bun, had been braided down her back, an ornamental bloom weaved into it. If anything, Toph felt
as though she would be very much in theme with the garden soirée. She also believed that she
appeared quite radiant, what with all of the compliments she received from her parents and the
house staff.

After she had gotten home from tea with Katara—and overheard Sokka’s fervent declaration that
he would never marry her—Toph was determined to appear the picture of confidence. She was not
sure if she was desirous of proving something to herself or what, but she was most certainly not
going to let herself wallow as she had done for the better part of an hour. Toph still had no idea
why she had been so very affected by his proclamation when it was not anything compromising or
necessarily hurtful. It was just Sokka; he was simply stating the obvious and she was glad of it.

But again—why did she care in the first place? And what the devil was it with people assuming
that she had feelings for this man? It was a most ridiculous idea.

What was not ridiculous, however, was her plan to take advantage of the number of people who
were invited to that evening’s soirée to find potential students. She had Fen write down a simple
message on several slips of parchment that read: ‘Do you fancy yourself an earthbender? If you are
brave enough to test your skills against a master, meet me at this address in a fortnight at dusk. Do
not tell a soul.’ Two weeks only because she still needed to check in on the location she was
considering to be her training space. She crossed her fingers and toes, hoping that if she found
anyone of interest, they would take the bait.

And though she was currently in an odd place with Sokka, his gift was beneficial when it came to
finding possible metalbenders if its continuous shuddering near select individuals was any
indication. So she dug it out of the tiles in her bedroom after she had flung it in anger earlier in the
day and brought it with her to the soirée.

Still, not wanting him to believe they were on good terms after his declaration, however, she
managed to settle the bracelet onto her ankle so as to hide it from his view. She was not about to
give him the satisfaction of seeing her wear it—that back biter was not deserving of it at that
moment.

Once she was ready, Toph set off for the nearby garden without waiting for her parents. It was
only a few feet away from Beifong House and the home’s garden always fascinated her. Any time
she walked by it, she was hit with the scents of various different flowers, all pleasant. That evening
was the first time she was ever stepping foot on the property, however, and there was a side of her
that was excited about it.

The first thing she noticed when her feet found the garden’s grassy grounds was that there was a
mass of people crowded toward the center of the vast outdoor space. The second thing she noticed
was that Suki was leaning against one of the hedges several paces away from the commotion. Toph
pursed her lips and directed herself toward her seemingly bored friend.
“Enjoying yourself, ma’am?”

Suki groaned at Toph. “Thank the Spirits you have arrived, no one has! This is a mess. I truly do
not understand people.”

“What is the problem?”

“Some woman decided to swoon into the rose bush,” Suki explained, annoyance dripping from her
tone. “And it is quite obvious that she is faking it! I do not comprehend how people deem that
appropriate of their awareness.”

Toph snorted, giving the ground a stomp to feel the scene more sharply herself. There was indeed a
woman on the ground being carefully pulled up to her feet, but it was more than apparent that she
was acting sluggish purposely. “There must have been a gentleman she wanted to impress nearby.”

“Precisely,” then she turned to Toph and gave her shoulder a poke. “What about you? Have you
ever swooned, Toph?”

She thought back to a few weeks prior when she was close to faking a swoon to get out of a
seemingly serious conversation with Satoru. “Absolutely not. I would never do so because
swooning is for the tenderhearted and foolish… The only truly acceptable time for one to swoon is
to get out of difficult situations… have you?”

Suki was pensive for a few moments. “Once. For just that reason. A slimy, corny-faced old man
would not stop trying to pursue me at a ball and I faked a swoon. It worked wonders and I do
recommend it if you are looking for recommendations.”

“I shall keep that in mind,” Toph laughed as Suki joined.

The two of them stood by the hedge near the entrance for a few more minutes, chatting about what
they had missed of each other while they had not seen each other throughout the week. Suki
informed her that she had gone to visit Aang after the Gei ball thrice with no success. When she
had finally decided to ask his butler what was going on and why he was not taking callers, his
butler simply said that he had a stomach bug. Toph internally groaned because she knew that he
was probably doing something incredibly stupid such as visiting Azula. She kept her mouth shut,
however, and pretended to wonder about whether or not he would be making an appearance at
tonight’s soirée.

Suki also asked whether Toph knew when their other friends would be arriving and the latter
simply shrugged. She did not want to see any of their friends tonight. She did not very much feel
like facing Sokka or speaking to Zuko after he had walked her home, and Katara would know
something was wrong—not that anything was wrong, of course—just by looking at her. Not only
that but Zuko and Katara spoke about everything; it was not going to surprise Toph if Katara
already knew about what had ensued that afternoon.

Suki cleared her throat suddenly and said, “We should fill out our dance cards tonight.”

“What do you mean?”

“Fill them out with false names,” she clarified, pulling Toph’s card off her wrist. “You look
absolutely smashing tonight and I know you well enough to also know that you have no grand
desire to be paraded around the floor tonight, do you?”

Toph snorted and shrugged as Suki scribbled down made-up names on both their cards, leaving
some spaces for Satoru on Toph’s own. She almost complained, but she and Satoru were courting
after all and if they did not take to the floor, it would look suspicious to the rest of the guests. “I
believe that there are reasons why we are friends, and your brain is certainly one of them.”

“Oh, you do know how to appease me,” Suki grinned, slipping Toph’s dance card back onto her
wrist.

At one point during the night, following more laughs, Toph made the mistake of walking off to
find an alcoholic beverage after greeting her parents when they arrived. They said that there had
been a problem with the carriage and Toph resisted questioning them about why they would need
the carriage if the distance between the house and the garden was diminutive.

She was not bothered by running into her parents on the way to the bar, however. As she took a
few sips of her drink while waiting for Suki’s to be prepared, Sokka began to approach her. The
urge she had of walking off in the other direction was strong, but she remained where she was, her
face straight, betraying no emotion.

“Toph,” he said quietly once he reached her. His heartbeat was quickening with every second that
passed. “Can we talk?”

She shook her head. “Unfortunately, I am in the middle of something.”

“I—”

“Have a lovely evening,” Toph said with a tone of finality, thanking the tender of the bar, taking
Suki’s drink in her free hand, and taking off in the opposite direction.

She left him standing in her wake as she approached Suki. Toph did not want to think about Sokka
and his idiocy; she wanted to drink with her friend before Satoru whisked her off to the dance floor
whenever he found her. She also wished to avoid Katara and Zuko still, and she knew that the
moment they arrived, they would make a beeline toward her.

Before she could even hand Suki her drink, she asked, “What is going on?”

“With?”

“With you giving Water Tribe the direct cut.”

“It was not a direct cut. I spoke with him.”

A scoff. “Barely a word was what you spoke.”

Toph huffed and pushed Suki’s glass in her direction. “Nothing is going on, Suki.”

Slowly taking the drink out of Toph’s hand to indicate her suspicion, Suki said, “I do not believe a
word, but I will not ask again. Tonight.”

“How considerate of you.”

There was a bit of silence as Suki sipped at her drink. Toph could feel her friend’s eyes on her,
trying to read her, so she kept her face as straight as she could. Finally, Suki asked, “You know he
is very… fond of you, yes?”

“He?”

“Sokka,” she clarified. “He is very fond of you.”

Toph shook her head, confused. Why was she telling her this? “Good for him, I suppose.”

“And I know that you are quite fond of him too. So with that said, you should also know that any
rift between the two of you is worth mending. And I cannot begin to imagine a life in which the
two of you were not close, so it would do you well to fix whatever is broken or bent before it is
lost.”

Not knowing what or how to reply, Toph knocked back her drink, not caring about whoever saw
her. It was none of Suki’s business how fond or not her friend was of her or she of him, and she was
about to tell her as much, but at that moment, she felt Satoru heading in their direction.

She was not quite ready to deal with him just yet, so she gave Suki her empty glass without an
explanation and quickly walked off in the other direction, feigning that she was examining the
grounds. The last thing she needed was to pretend to be happy as she pranced around the dance
floor with Satoru for the whole ton to witness. If she was to do so, she needed a moment.

There was a stone archway she was nearing and it smelled strongly of gan cao. Her hands settled
on either side of the curved structure she walked beneath, feeling the cool rock and the soft moss
underneath her fingers. The sensation relaxed her quite a bit, so she took a few breaths before
leaning against one side of the arch, shutting her eyes, and letting the commotion slip away. In the
distance, however, she could feel the familiar footsteps of Katara and Zuko closing on Suki, who
was also being joined by Sokka. It was lucky Toph broke out while she could, it looked like.

But within seconds, she felt something else—her bracelet. The hairs on the nape of her neck stood
up and she scanned the area she was in to find a few people looming nearby. Not wanting to draw
attention to herself, she walked a few feet to her right and felt the strength of the bracelet’s
shuddering increase against her ankle and immediately decrease when one of them walked off in
another direction. Some moments later, the shuddering returned along with the person who caused
it, so she assumed he was a member of the waitstaff.

This made her job simpler.

The man was quite obviously carrying a tray as each time he stepped near the archway Toph was
under, he filled it with several napkins and hors d'oeuvres. He seemed nervous and emotional;
likely because one of the guests had acted rudely toward him, which was not a strange occurrence
at these soirées. Needing a distraction to slip her parchment onto his tray, she nodded in the
direction of the table he and the rest of the waitstaff were plucking food off of to place on their tray
and sent a pebble flying into a glass, shattering it to pieces. Quickly, while everyone’s attention
was elsewhere, Toph snuck the parchment onto the man’s tray and sped away as if she had never
been there.

And she hoped to anything that would listen that he took the bait.

“You have received another letter, ma’am,” Bingwen announced, entering the ground floor
drawing room of Beifong House.

Toph rolled her eyes. “Who from? Satoru or the other one?”

“If by ‘the other one’ you mean Xiansheng Sokka, then, yes. The… other one.”

For nearly a week, Toph had been receiving bouquets of flowers from Satoru and letters—at least
eight of them—riddled with what she could only assume were apologies from Sokka.

With Satoru, had she been the romantic type, she was sure that she would have been all over his
gestures. But frankly, she could not have cared less. What he was doing was sweet and endearing,
and she knew what it was going to lead to.

Her father had not yet approached her about Satoru having asked for her hand, but she knew a
proposal was looming because of the way he acted. All of the signs were there, truthfully, and did
not take an intellectual to pick up on them. She was even sure that he had tried to propose to her
some time ago, which is why she had pretended to feel faint; she wanted to avoid that proposal at
all costs.

Recently, when he found himself near her, he would appear more nervous than he usually did, and
he would always attempt to get her alone.

At the garden soirée, he had managed to steal her away for the polite limit of two dances, and
luckily, they were all quadrilles. Any time he attempted to speak with her, there was a partner
switch, and she could not be more thankful for that fact.

And Sokka… Some days before then, he called on her four times, asking for an audience with her,
likely to pour out to her how very sorry he was for speaking out of turn, but since she had not paid
him any heed and had Bingwen turn him away each time, he resorted to writing letters. Letters that
went unopened and unresponded to.

Fen insisted that she should open them, but Toph declined. She did not care for what he had to say.
At least not then. He deserved to suffer for a while longer and she did not need his apologies. There
was nothing for him to apologize for in the first place—perhaps about speaking about her behind
her back, but nothing more. She simply did not want to speak with him and she had every right not
to.

With a sigh, she waved her hand at Bingwen in dismissal. “Leave it there, I suppose. Or burn it.
Whichever is easiest for you or brings you the most joy.”

“Give it here,” Fen said quickly, walking over to him and plucking the letter out of his outstretched
hand. “She is being melodramatic.”

“I am not. I truly do not think there is anything worthy of my attention written in those letters, so
why waste my and anyone else’s time by reading them,” Toph shrugged. “In fact, Bingwen, if you
see a letter from Xiansheng Sokka, do not hesitate to throw it into the furnace.”

Fen shook her head and told the footman, “Do not listen to her, please.”

Bingwen cleared his throat, said, “Do ring if you need me, ma’am,” and hastily walked off.

“Toph—”

“No. I will not listen to the nonsense in those letters, Fen.”

“If you would only tell me what—”

More harshly than she would have liked, Toph interrupted and sharply said, “No. Nothing
happened. I simply do not wish to speak with him right now. Or to you about this.”

“Very well,” Fen sighed, then handed Toph her traveling cloak. “In other news, if you want to
avoid Xiasheng Satoru this afternoon, I think it is best if we go to the temple now. The hack chaise
should be around the back of the house.”

Toph nodded firmly and stood to leave, this time making a clean escape as she had told her parents
that she was going to the shops for a few hours. In reality, however, Toph was going to scope out
the training grounds beneath the temple that Fen had located some weeks prior.

It was a terribly quick journey. The two of them traveled in a hired hack to the temple near the
outskirts of Gaoling, Toph donning a travel cloak that considerably concealed her face and identity
alongside Fen. They met with a large man who asked what business two women had in purchasing
the location, and Toph exasperatedly responded by slamming one of her old reticules onto the table
between them. It was full of gold and silver pieces and was part of what she had earned throughout
her years competing in the Rumble tournaments. And she still had a large amount saved inside
several hollowed-out books in her home’s library.

It had paid well to beat people into the ground nightly, it seemed.

The man immediately examined the reticule and gaped at the women, shaking their hands and
muttering how lovely it was to do business with them. And just like that, the place was hers.

She got into a horse stance and began to bend, testing out the space. It was large enough to keep
any bending contained, she was sure to accommodate metal equipment there as she saw fit, and it
was likely she could expand horizontally if she needed to. It was perfect.

Toph could not stop smiling as she and Fen rode the hack back home. She held the keys to the
location in her hands tightly, thinking about her next steps. Hopefully, the man she had contacted
at the garden soirée got her note and would meet her at the abandoned temple in a week as she had
instructed. And she also hoped that more potential students would make themselves known to her.
She wanted to have things up and running by the end of the season, which was about three months
or so away.

The cloud she was on was abruptly ripped from beneath her as Fen told her that they had arrived
back in the town and were a block away from Beifong House. With a huff, Toph pulled the hood
of her traveling cloak off and began the walk back to her household.

Stepping foot into the house, Toph was immediately ambushed by her mother. “Your father and I
will be out for tea with the Lees, but I trust that your maid will chaperone if need be. I will be back
before the eve, daughter,” Poppy said quickly, turning on her heel and walking away.

Before Toph could even respond, Poppy swiftly came toward her again, adding, “I almost forgot—
the viscount’s son has called on you. I had one of the footmen send him up to the drawing room.
Please be sure he does not remain here for long. We do not need any reports of you having any
other male callers that might deter Xiansheng Satoru’s impending proposal!”

And with that, her mother finally spun on her heel and left her daughter alone with Fen. Not even
seconds later, her parents left the house in haste, a halfhearted “farewell” in their wake.

The audacity of Sokka. He likely stood in wait to see when Toph would leave her dwelling that day
in order to slip into the house at her mother’s feigned hospitality. She should have known that he
was going to do something of the sort. Sokka was never one to give up easily.

Toph pulled off her gloves and lifted her skirts above where it was socially acceptable, and
stomped her way to the upstairs drawing room, mumbling several vulgarisms to herself with Fen
scampering along behind her.

As she walked down the corridor, she noticed that Sokka was not in the drawing room, but in her
bedchamber. Toph clenched her jaw and quietly entered the room in question, trying her best not to
absolutely unleash her best insults on him.
With a confused Fen by her side, Toph found Sokka hovering over her rock collection on her
mantle. As he was not yet aware of her presence, she flicked her hand toward the mantle, making
the rocks on display float and crash onto his head.

“What the devil—oh, Toph!” Sokka cursed, immediately stepping away from the fireplace. “I—I
did not hear you come in. Heh. How are you, erm, today?”

“Why are you in my quarters and not the drawing room?” she asked, bending the rocks back to
where they belonged.

“You were not home, and I was brought up here. I found myself with my curiosity piqued because
the door to this room was open,” he said after a brief pause to render a reply. “And as luck would
have it, it ended up being your room.”

Toph sighed and shook her head, quietly shutting the bedchamber door behind her. She knew better
than to remain in there with him with the door shut, even with Fen there, but she knew very well
that he had come over with the intention of trying to make amends and that he was not going to
speak with Fen there. It would have been embarrassing to her; humiliating for him. “Were you
prodding, Sokka?”

He cleared his throat and pointed at the mantle. While he had never personally seen her collection,
he knew it existed and she always gushed about any new additions to it in her letters to him. “You
got a new rock.”

An eye roll. He was going to avoid the elephant in the room for as long as he possibly could, the
blunderbuss. So she played along. “It was a gift.”

“From Satoru ?”

She furrowed her brows. “Why do you say his name like that?”

“Like what?”

“As though you have just had something to eat that left a bad taste in your mouth.”

Sokka huffed. “I am not saying his name in any sort of way, Toph.”

“No matter,” Toph relented, not wanting to waste any more time on his aversions. She could not
have cared less about them. “Why are you here, then?”

“Cannot a friend care to visit another friend without an interrogation these days?”

“Certainly, but when that friend is found where he should not be—in the bedchamber of an
unmarried lady, in fact—it does require a bit of an interrogation, methinks.”

Sokka took a step toward her. “Nǚshì Fen is right there; all is well in my eyes. We are only having
a conversation and being that I have not seen or heard much from you, a conversation is very much
overdue.”

“Is there a point anywhere in sight?”

“My point, ma’am, is that I can wait here all day until you decide you want to speak about what
needs to be spoken about.”

Toph wanted to do indescribably violent things to him at that instant. And if she knew her maid
well, Fen was going to come up with something to get her alone with Sokka in order for them to
settle their issues. So she was feeling particularly murderous.

On cue, Fen said, “Actually, I am going to, um, ring for food? I know that your company quite
enjoys our chef’s cooking. I shall personally see to it that the platter is full. I should think the food
will be ready in ten minutes. Does… does that suit?”

She knew the woman too well.

As she was opening her mouth to decline her request, Sokka grinned and charmingly replied, “That
sounds lovely, ma’am. I am quite hungry, so ten minutes seems perfect. It gives us plenty of time to
catch up, actually.”

Not waiting for another reply, Fen left the room with urgency and shut the door behind her.

“I cannot stand you,” was the first thing out of Toph’s mouth through her teeth.

“I know,” Sokka said quietly as he took careful steps in her direction. “And I am so sorry.”

“I do not need an apology from you, and I do not want one,” she replied, turning away from him
and taking a step toward the fireplace. “Why are you in here? And why have you insisted that Fen
leave us alone? We are in my bedchamber—in my parents’ home. This is all kinds of
inappropriate.”

“You have nothing to worry about. You do know that I would never do anything to intentionally
tarnish your reputation, do you not?”

Toph chuckled sardonically. “Oh, I know that. You have made that abundantly clear as of late,
Sokka.”

He winced at her jab. It had truly been unintentional, but she could not stop herself from saying it.

Before he could reply to her, she walked over to the mantle and took the agate to have something
productive to do with her hands. She continued, “You should not be in here. My parents were here
not long ago and unless you want to be entrapped in a marriage with me—which from my
recollection, you would find to be the cause of your worst nightmares— I suggest we adjourn to
the drawing room where we may find house staff to chaperone. Or better yet, leave so I do not have
to speak with you at all.”

All of the teasing and jest was gone from his tone when he stopped walking and quite literally
deflated. “I miss you, Toph. You— you are my best friend, after all.”

“That is quite funny because you are not mine—Katara is.”

Sokka shrugged, taking a few more steps toward her. “That I know, and it does not signify because
you are still mine.”

“You do a laughable job at showing it, however. No best friend would declare their own
unmarriageable,” she retorted, one of her eyebrows up in her hairline.

“How many times must I apologize?” he questioned exasperatedly, though she could sense remorse
for his actions in his words. “It— I did not mean it as I said it or as it sounded for that matter. And I
know that you deserve more than the contemptible apologies I have managed. You deserve— you
deserve so much more. I regret what I said, I do.”
Toph bit on her tongue for a moment, considering his words. She had been truly hurt by what he
said, though the reason was far from her as she could not, for the life of her, understand why. Had
Aang or even Zuko said the same, she was certain that she would not have felt the way she felt any
time she thought of Sokka’s stinging words.

“It is that which does not signify, then, as you still said what you said. And I am not one to forget
easily. If I were truly your best friend as you say, you would be the first person to know that.”

At that, he began to walk his way over to her again as she continued to press the agate into her
palm. It was beginning to hurt but it was keeping her hands busy. He was standing directly behind
her, a few feet of distance between them. “What do you care about me declaring you
unmarriageable, anyhow, if you claim that you do not wish to wed?”

“I do not wish to wed,” Toph stressed sternly, turning around to face him after harshly setting the
rock back onto the mantle. “And I much less care about what you said!”

“Then you have a damn funny way of demonstrating as much,” he hissed as he finally came to a
stop just a few inches away from her. Good Spirits—had anyone walked in on them, Toph would
have been declared ruined and would have been ushered down the aisle and to the altar. But she did
not seem to care at that instance.

For some reason, the words she said next held no truth as much as she wished for them to. “I want
you to leave, Sokka.”

His heartbeat was quick, as though he had been running for quite a while, and only then had he
allowed himself some respite for recovery. He inhaled a few times, trying to form a sentence to no
avail twice. But then, when he finally found his words, it was as if the idea had abruptly etched its
way into his head.

Sokka’s words were not the ones Toph had anticipated. No. Never did she expect him to quietly
ask, “Have you ever been kissed?”

Her cheeks reddened, she was sure of it, because her face—and everything else—felt warm. He
knew that she was untarnished. Of course she had not been kissed!

Trying to appear tranquil despite her uneasiness at the question, she nervously scoffed. “You are
out of your wits.”

"Toph..."

"What."

“Should you… like to be?”

No! She screamed at him in her head. She could never. This was Sokka! Her best friend’s brother!
Her own close friend! Not a romantic interest… he could not be.

Spirits—where did this even come from? Had they not been in the middle of an argument seconds
ago? Now he wanted to kiss her after that and having previously said that he would never dream of
marrying her, not even in his wildest fantasies?

Still, against her greatest judgment, as she had prepared herself to recoil and sternly say ‘no, what
the devil has gotten into you. No,’ she found herself slowly nodding, an uncharacteristically small,
quiet ‘yes’ sounding from her mouth, curiosity overtaking her. As an untarnished woman, Toph
had never kissed a man, never touched a man beyond what was acceptable, never been alone with
a man the way she was with Sokka at present… but she trusted him.

So what would the damage be, truly?

His warm, ungloved hand came up to cradle her jaw, and had she not been so focused on what was
happening, she would have jumped at the delicate contact. Apparently not in control of her own
movements, she slowly brought her hand up to him, her palm flattening against his chest, just
below his clavicle. His thumb went to her bottom lip, swiping it from left to right and he leaned
over slightly to brush his nose against hers. A shiver went up and down her spine a few times and
she could feel his breath upon her lips; she could almost taste him.

But it so seemed that their ten-minute grace period was up because a shy knock came from the
other side of the door. Toph had been so distracted that she had not realized that Fen had been
approaching the bedroom. And Sokka, who was mere inches away from her mouth, hastily
straightened himself up, cleared his throat, and rubbed the back of his neck as he took long steps
away from her before Fen stepped into the quarters.

“I come bearing gifts, Xiansheng Sokka,” Fen announced happily, setting the platter on the small
table by Toph’s window. However, Toph could tell that her lady’s maid was a tad unsettled. She
was, too. “I had Cook add your favorite food items and even got him to pile on the biscuits you like
so much.”

Sokka cleared his throat again. “Thank you kindly, Nǚshì Fen, but I have, um, just remembered
that I have somewhere… to be.”

“Oh.”

“But I will be back at some point,” he added charmingly. “We all know I would devour the whole
platter if given the opportunity, ma’am.”

The dunderhead could get away with murder with that charm. The very same charm that was
making Toph feel even sicker than she felt after he all but jumped away from her. What was she
thinking?

Before Fen could escort him out of the room, Sokka stopped in his tracks and turned toward Toph.
Her heart began to beat more quickly, something warm inhabiting her chest. “Toph, I did not…” he
trailed off.

She had not wanted to encourage him to continue his thought, but her mouth acted before her brain
did. “You did not what?”

“I did not…” he started, then shook his head. “I should go. I must— I must leave.”

And he left her there, wondering what he had wanted to say, Fen following behind him to see him
out. She thought about calling him over again to inquire about what he was going to say, but she
opted against it.

Toph slumped onto her bed and felt like the weight of the world sat on her chest. She wanted to be
angry with him. She wanted a reason to send him to hell. If she found herself angry, she could
convince herself that it was true, that she was livid with him, that it could not have possibly been
anything else.

She could have stopped it all from escalating had she simply told him that she did not want to be
kissed or had kicked his ass in the process. But she did not.
 It dawned on her that she might not have wanted to say no, but she quickly shook the thought out of
her head. She could not have wanted it.

And she absolutely hated that she had to convince herself of that.

Chapter End Notes

idiots! idiots, the lot of them!

 Chapter 10
Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

Toph could not remember a time in which she had entered a ball with such apprehension.

Granted, there were many times she went to balls begrudgingly or resentfully, but she had never
before gone to one feeling nervous.

The last week or so had not been among her best. Since the last time she was with Sokka, Toph had
been in a horribly sour mood, which was worsened by the number of times she was asked why she
was in such a horribly sour mood.

During tea with Zuko one afternoon, he had asked her what was wrong one too many times, and
she practically snarled at him.

It was safe to say that he dropped the matter immediately afterward.

She forgave him for prying, though, when he told her that he had not shared anything in regard to
what Sokka had said about her to Katara. It was the least he could have done.

Toph had not been around Sokka since that tense afternoon in her bedchamber, and the ball was the
first time the two of them would be in the same room since then. She knew that he would be in
attendance at the ball, too, because it was being hosted by Suki’s family and Suki had likely
managed to guilt-trip him into coming just like she had Toph.

Persuasive one Suki was.

And that was why her heart was beating so rapidly and erratically in her chest, sending off warning
bells in her head, indicating to her that, perhaps, it was a better idea to back out of the ballroom and
flee before anyone saw her. But because of the circumstances, she could not just disappear after
promising—or being guilted by Suki into promising—that she would be there.

So there she was, at a ball against her will, dreading what was to come. She had managed to greet
Suki and her parents and run off to find a lovely spot in the corner of the ballroom where she would
not be bothered for at least a few minutes. She just needed a moment to find her composure amid
her skittishness.

It was lucky her parents had decided against attending this ball or she might have exploded out of
sheer tension.

There was something humbling about being nervous to encounter Sokka because Sokka… was
Sokka. He had always been. Save for when he went on his longer-than-life tours, he was always
there—all she had to do was search for his footsteps or his heartbeat and she would find him if he
hadn’t reached her first. And, in earnest, she had taken advantage of that and of him. Some things
did not change, or rather, should not change. And Sokka had changed, in her eyes.

Or perhaps she had changed. And that put her in an even worse mood because if that was the case,
Sokka was suddenly making her chest swirl and her heart beat faster, and she could not have that.

Toph did not much enjoy change. She liked when things remained the same; she liked when she
knew things and their patterns. She did not like, however, when she felt those things altering; when
she noticed that she had no control over her feelings toward shifts or what shifted. And the fact that
she was feeling feelings for Sokka was something that she did not like one bit.

All she was able to do to keep herself from losing all her nerve at the ball was nibble at the skin on
her cheek and fiddle around with the meteorite on her arm. She had removed it after she returned to
Beifong House following the garden soirée, but she managed to slide it back onto her arm a few
hours later. In such a short time, the gift had become a part of her.

As she twisted the bracelet around her bicep, it was not difficult for her to locate him from where
she stood on the ballroom’s sidelines the moment that he entered Suki’s home. He was with
Katara, their parents, and Zuko.

For a moment, Toph debated whether she should flee, but it took the Naitok-Qin family no time to
greet their hosts and hastily make their way toward her. She made sure to move her hand off her
bracelet before they arrived.

“How lovely it is to see you, my dear,” Hakoda said to her, giving her shoulder a loving squeeze.
“It feels as though we have not met much since the season started.”

Toph nodded, forcing a smile onto her face and curtsying once she was able to. “It does seem like
that, my lord, although I do find myself in your household more often than not. You must be
avoiding me.”

The viscount guffawed. “I could never. You are much too special to this family for me to do such a
thing. Besides, even if I were avoiding you, I do not think Katara nor Sokka would allow as much
for long.”

“He is absolutely right, you know,” Malina said with a smile. Meanwhile, Toph could not help but
notice the way Sokka shuffled uncomfortably behind his stepmother. “And we would most
definitely miss you if you were not around. You are truly like family. I do hope you know that,
dear.”

Not knowing what to say without her voice breaking, Toph just nodded, a small smile on her face
as the viscount and viscountess promised to find her later in the night. Meanwhile, Katara rushed
toward her and pulled her into a bone-crushing hug.

“Where have you been? I have not seen you all week, I have been so busy,” she said, then
accusingly added. “Although I feel rather betrayed at the moment considering that Zuko has seen
you and I have not.”

“Ah, I have been here and there,” Toph replied with a shrug, wanting to fish for any excuse she
could muster regarding her absence. “Been quite busy with, uh, Satoru and whatnot.”

Katara’s eyebrows rose. “Have you? Any… nuptials in your future?”

“Leave the woman be, my love,” Zuko told Katara, taking her hand. “I am sure that her parents are
asking her the very same question on the daily. She does not need much of it from you, too.”

“Interesting how it is you who makes weekly trips to press her about marriage and courtships and
all of that and the one time that I do so, I get no support,” Katara grumbled, pulling her hand out of
Zuko’s grasp and walking off angrily, albeit entirely gracefully. “Unbelievable.”

Zuko huffed and ran a hand down his face. “Excuse me,” he murmured to them and chased after
his wife in a most dignified manner.
And just like that, she was left alone with Sokka.

The reaction to the fact was immediate. Her hands became clammy inside her silk evening gloves
and her heart felt as though it was a second away from busting out of her chest. She wondered what
he was thinking as they stood there, the sound of the bustling ballroom filling what would
otherwise be silence.

What did one think about after nearly kissing their dear friend?

In her case, all she was able to think about was what would have happened if they had kissed, but
she never allowed herself to truly consider it or go any further than what they had gone.

Sokka cleared his throat, finally tearing through the discomfiting quietness between them. “Nǚshì
Beifong.”

“Xiansheng Sokka,” she said, not really knowing what else to say. It was merely a greeting, after all
—a reply was not the cause for too much deliberation.

“I had hoped that we might… have a word.”

“Is that not what we are doing currently?”

He huffed in annoyance. “You know what I mean, Toph.”

“I am not sure what you mean about anything these days,” Toph replied quietly, finding her gloves
especially interesting. These were not slipping, but she pulled at them until she could not do so any
longer. Her voice dropped to what was barely a whisper when she continued, “One moment you
are insulting me behind my back, and the other you are asking if I have kissed—Satoru.”

“Satoru?” Sokka asked confusedly, then sighed in realization as he noticed the man in question
approaching them. “Satoru.”

The last thing Toph needed was to have to entertain Satoru tonight, especially when she was in the
middle of whatever she was in the middle of with Sokka. But alas, there was nothing she could do
as Satoru was already standing next to her and waiting for her to give him her hand. So she did.

“Fancy seeing you here,” he said with a smile.

“Mm, likewise.”

Then, he turned to Sokka, extending his hand out toward him. “How do you do? You must be
Viscount Naitok’s son Xiansheng Sokka if I well recall from my conversations with Toph?”

It took Sokka all of five seconds to shake Satoru’s hand and the tension in the space increased even
more if at all possible. “That is correct. Xiansheng Satoru, yes?”

“Indeed. I have heard quite a lot about you, sir,” Satoru replied and Toph pursed her lips, not
wanting her face to betray her emotions. Although, she had no clue how she even felt. All she knew
was that she no longer wanted to be there.

A dry chuckle from Sokka as he released Satoru’s hand from his grip. “All good things I hope.”

“Never once a bad thing, frankly.”

She needed to get out of there, but she knew that Satoru would not let her go without a dance, so
despite her desire to flee, Toph cleared her throat and turned to him when she noticed the current
dance coming to an end. “I do truly hate to interrupt your most genuine introduction, but I assume
you did not approach us to have a chat with Sok—Xiansheng Sokka.”

“That eager to get me alone, are you, Nǚshì?” Satoru asked jokingly. It seemed that only she knew
that he was speaking in jest, however, because Sokka tensed the moment the words left the
gentleman’s mouth. “In that case, do allow me your dance card, will you?”

Toph stuck her wrist out toward him so that he was able to write down his name on her card. While
doing so, he nodded toward her bicep and softly said, “What a lovely bracelet on your arm. You
wear it well.”

“I agree entirely,” Sokka added knowingly.

She felt heat rise to her cheeks at that. But she nevertheless managed a smile as she reluctantly took
Satoru’s hand so he would lead her onto the dance floor after uttering an “excuse me” to Sokka.

It was not until she curtsied at the start of the song that she realized that the next dance was a
waltz. She tensed.

Satoru seemed to notice her reaction and said, “Do not worry—I have spoken to your father about
the potential of you and me dancing the waltz. He did not have a problem with it, and I surely
hope… I hope that you do not have one either.”

Never had she danced the waltz before. Of course, she took her lessons because her parents insisted
upon it despite it being a controversial dance, but she had never put it into practice before. And she
had never wanted to put it into practice as it was a dance that couples on the precipice of marriage
shared.

It was quite the… intimate dance. There was a lot of touching—more than she was comfortable
with—but she could not back out, not when the whole ton was watching, not when her parents
would find out that she did not go through with it.

So Toph just shook her head and told him that she had no issues with it at all as he embraced her by
the waist and brought one of her hands above their heads to take their position.

A few counts into the dance, Satoru spoke up again. “Ma’am, uh, Toph, I have— I have been
meaning to speak with you about something.”

She knew what was coming. She knew it and wanted to run despite the fact that doing so was
against everything she believed in, but she had nowhere to turn. “Yes?”

He spun her around, her back against his chest now, and it took all she had within her to not wrench
away from him at that very instant. She was this close to hyperventilating. “I know that we have
known each other only for a short time, but from the moment I laid eyes on you, I knew that”—he
cleared his throat as he spun her again to face him—“I knew that you were the woman I was meant
to spend the rest of my life with. To—to have a family with. And so, I wish to ask for your hand. In
—in marriage, that is.”

“Sir, I—Satoru, I am not—I do not—” Toph swallowed convulsively as they took another round
about the dance floor, trying to keep her attention on her rather than Sokka. She could feel him
watching her and, along with this proposal, his scrutiny was overwhelming. “I cannot give you an
answer right now. I—I cannot.”

Her answer, that is, would have been a refusal, but she was not ready to handle that conversation
just yet.
“Please do not feel pressured to respond to me now, Toph,” he said gently, giving her hand a
squeeze of reassurance. “I have not even asked your father for your hand yet because I wanted to
gauge how you felt about our union beforehand. Do speak with me when you are certain of what
you desire as I do not wish to force you into anything. It is the last thing I want.”

The music came to an end and she realized just how much more Satoru deserved than what she had
decided to offer him. It took a lot for her to not burst into tears in the middle of the floor as she felt
a deep sense of remorse because she knew that he was too good of a man.

Had things been different, had she wanted to be married, had she been in love with Satoru, Toph
was certain that she would have accepted his offer posthaste. But that was not the case at all, it
seemed.

Her guilt increased tenfold as she curtsied, ending the dance. She had only been able to focus on
one man through most of the waltz, despite the happenings. The same man whose eyes remained
trained on her from across the ballroom until she left without so much as a goodbye to anyone in
attendance.

Two days later, on a Friday, Toph still found herself to be in a foul mood, not even wanting to leave
the house and feigning an illness in order to not take visitors. Regardless, that morning, she rose
early enough to avoid breakfast with her parents and to slip out of the house without being
questioned. It was not as though anyone would visit her room because they did not want to catch
whatever illness plagued her, so things worked in her favor.

She was in such a sour mood, in fact, that she had not even rung for Fen to help her get situated;
she had simply slipped into one of the morning dresses in her closet, shrugged on her travel cloak,
and took to the shops downtown. She had not even bothered to arrange for the family carriage to
facilitate her journey—she figured that she could use the fresh air.

After forcing herself to stay inside her household for forty-eight hours, Toph figured that she would
try to recruit another student to her academy—she was behind enough as it was. She had hired a
hack to pick her up at that time a few paces away from Beifong House to avoid prying eyes
because there always were some around. She was to meet with the one potential student she
managed to catch at the garden soirée some weeks prior at dusk that evening. It was a game of
chance whether or not this person would present himself at the academy’s location.

As much as Toph hated the shops, she knew that she might have some luck finding people to
recruit as so many individuals spent their time there. Her mother and Katara had been the ones to
make her hate them and want to avoid them like the plague. But she figured it was worth an
attempt to have a look around due to the circumstances.

She walked aimlessly through the ostensibly endless amount of kiosks, not knowing exactly what
to do or what to look for. Whenever she went with Katara, they would always begin at the very
first kiosk and work their way over to the very last one, much to her dismay. In her case today,
though, she thought it her best bet to do exactly that because she never knew who she might
encounter.

The strong scent of leather filled her nose and she gathered that she had managed to trot over to the
one kiosk that sold overly-sumptuous shoes and reticules. There was a woman, who did not seem
much older than eighteen or nineteen, standing in front of the shop, demanding a pair of slippers in
a color that better complimented her skin tone. Toph very well almost rolled her eyes until she felt
her bracelet quiver beneath her cloak.
She squinted her eyes, wondering if she should recruit a student as whiny as this child seemed, but
truly, she could use anyone to help her academy take off.

With a huff, Toph adjusted her cloak’s hood to make it fall upon her face and cover her features,
then forcefully bumped into the young woman.

“Do watch where you are going,” said the woman in irritation, having dropped her reticule. “It is
quite obvious that there is someone standing here.”

Resisting the urge to send her flying to Omashu, Toph crouched to pick up the fallen reticule and
handed it back to the woman, but not before slipping the invitation parchment into it discreetly. She
deepened her voice. “My apologies, ma’am,” she said and slipped away without another word.

After then, Toph spent three and a half hours pretending to peruse the items laid out on the
shopping booths while trying to find more students to recruit to no avail. It frustrated her enough to
make her throw her hands up and walk back to her parents’ house. It was almost time for her to
board the hack she hired to take her to the temple, anyhow.

She pulled the hood of her cloak down as she walked, considering how she no longer needed to
conceal her identity, and brought her hand up to her arm to touch the bracelet Sokka had given her.
Since she had spent most of the morning busying herself, she had not had the chance to think about
the events of the night before, really. Satoru had well and truly rendered a marriage proposal that
she knew she was going to refuse eventually, and all she could ponder upon was Sokka.

When had he managed to snake his way into her every waking thought? It was not something she
wanted or expected and she was incredibly unsettled by it. She had never been nervous around
him, or at the thought of him, and being that she found herself feeling that way since that day in her
bedchamber was irritating.

Toph found herself wondering on her walk down Lianhu Road back to Beifong House about when
things had changed between them. It could not have been on that very same day, of course. Things
happened progressively as everything else in life did. She thought back to their interactions
recently, from the moment he had written to her that he was to return to Gaoling for the season
after spending most of the year abroad. Nothing was different between them after he returned,
however.

Surely, she had missed him a great deal because they spent a lot of their time together when he
found himself in Gaoling—even throughout the off-season when Katara and their parents were in
their respective nations—but she was under the impression that her friendship with Sokka was
acceptable and normal. A friendship and nothing more.

And they had a wonderful friendship, indeed.

She could still very well remember the first time they met twelve or so years prior. It was quite a
funny situation, in her opinion, though Sokka would most definitely argue that it was not amusing
in the slightest, which was fair regarding his part in it all.

At the time, she had not realized that he was related to Katara, and the two of them were returning
from a promenade around the park nearest to Naitok House. They were closing in on their
neighborhood and she had noticed an ostrich horse galloping along behind them.

And luckily, there was no one else but them around.

Feeling mischievous that afternoon, Toph had smiled wickedly and asked Katara, “How keen are
you on a laugh currently?”

“Quite keen,” Katara had replied, matching her mischievous tone. “What have you in mind?”

Toph’s smile widened, and without responding to Katara, she kicked her heel into the ground,
sending earth barreling toward the ostrich horse, and causing the man riding it to fall flat on his
back.

When she heard the sound of the man hitting the ground with a long, deep groan, Katara turned
around and gasped, running in his direction. Seconds later, she was clutching her stomach and
laughing until she was gasping and Toph could not help but join her.

There was some grunting on the man’s end as he reached up toward Katara. “Quite rude of you to
laugh, sister, instead of helping me up.”

“Sister?” Toph had asked her laughter coming to a befuddled halt.

“Have you forgotten that I told you I have a brother?” Katara questioned and pulled him to his feet.
“An idiot one, at that, but a brother, nevertheless!”

Evidently, she had forgotten.

“I am certainly not an idiot. That title belongs to you, sister.” He gave Katara, who hmphed and
smacked his arm, a jesting shove. Then he turned to Toph. “And, yes, indeed. Sister. Are you hard
of hearing?”

“No, sir, but I am quite glad that I am sightless and do not have to force myself to bestow my eyes
upon someone with such a raucous voice. Surely, the sight of you would be none the more
flattering.”

He snorted and stuck his hand out toward her after dusting himself off. “If you are going to insult
me, I rather think it appropriate for you to know my name.”

“Allow me to make your introductions,” Katara immediately interjected, being the one to always
follow the rules of society, and held her hand up. Even at fifteen, she was a pain when it came to
such matters. “Nǚshì Toph Beifong, daughter of Marquis and Marchioness Beifong, meet my
brother and first in line for the title of Viscount of the Southern Water Tribe, Xiansheng Sokka
Naitok.”

“Since we’re in good company, you may call me Sokka.”

Toph had raised an eyebrow before finally shaking his hand. “I would say that it is nice to meet
you, but my mother taught me that it is impolite to lie, sir. And you may call me Toph—though,
not because I believe that I am in good company.”

Again he laughed and gave her hand a squeeze before releasing it and she found that she rather
liked the idea of having made him laugh. “Funny that I feel the exact same way, ma’am .”

It had been the start of a lovely friendship.

And that is truly all she ever wanted it to be but was that still the case?

Before she could ponder upon it further, she noticed Katara rushing toward her. Toph sighed, not
really in the mood to speak with anyone about anything at that moment. She put on her best face,
though, and greeted her with the best grin she could muster.
Katara took her hands in hers. “Toph, I am so glad to see you out and about after learning that you
were ill.”

“Indeed, I was missing the sunshine. Unfortunately, I am still not feeling too well,” Toph lied,
giving a sniffle and an overly dramatic cough for effect as they began walking again in the
direction of Beifong House. There were only a few paces left of the journey, but she would not be
able to make it to her hack if Katara did not leave her be. “But what are you doing in my
neighborhood at this hour? Is there not a ball for you to be preparing for?”

“No balls tonight, fortunately, but I was around because I was a few roads down as I was intending
to pay Aang a visit to check in on him, but he was not home, according to his footmen and butler. It
has been about a week since we have seen him and I am beginning to worry.”

Toph, having a very good idea of where Aang was and what he was doing, shrugged nonchalantly.
“I am sure all is well. You know that the business of an earl is never done, considering your
husband’s position, do you not?”

“I suppose that you are right,” Katara nodded when they turned the corner to Toph’s parents’
house. “But I am soon going to do some sleuthing, and I have a theory, so if it is correct, I will
be… unavailable for some days...”

“Calm down, Sugar Queen. Aang is a grown man and can most definitely fend for himself.” Toph
rolled her eyes jokingly, keeping herself from saying that he also made simple-minded decisions at
times, such as pursuing the sister of one of his closest friends.

“Very well, very well,” Katara relented, then stopped walking once they reached the front gates of
the estate. “This is where I leave you, then. I hope you feel better soon and that we may see you at
brunch again next week. We missed you.”

Honestly, Toph had missed them quite a bit, as well, but she could not bring herself to make it, so
she simply sent her excuse of absence via footman.

With that, Katara gave her friend a quick hug and left. Toph waited until she could no longer feel
Katara’s presence nearby to quickly take a turn around her house and meet the hack around the
back. Before she boarded the gig, she hastily searched behind a bush for a dark mask she had
hidden there the day prior to better conceal her identity in front of her potential students and slipped
it on.

Toph’s heart was beating at an exceedingly fast pace throughout the entire ride over to the
abandoned temple. There was a large cost attached to her sneaking about like this—she could be
caught and arrested and jailed and disgraced. Her family would be disgraced. It was not something
that she wanted, but this academy, this dream, was something that she had to make come true. It
was for herself, for the people who felt like her or that had nowhere to channel their energy or
emotions.

Once the hack came to a stop, Toph stepped out of the gig, handed the coachman what he was
owed for the ride from her reticule, and told him to wait for her to return. She brought her cloak’s
hood up and over her head before hastily entering the temple and making a sweep of the
underground to find two people in the basement.

A bit of her trepidation melted away. They had actually come.

Perhaps this endeavor was not quite as outlandish as she thought. Two students were better than
none.
Making sure her face was concealed enough, Toph entered the spacious basement and stomped the
ground in greeting, successfully giving the two people she recruited a fright.

“Good evening,” she said with a smile in her voice, her bracelet quivering on her bicep. “I am
happy to see that you have taken my invitation in earnest.”

“Are you not the woman that made me drop my reticule this afternoon?” the girl asked defensively
as she crossed her arms over her chest. “You are lucky that I have come. I only did so out of sheer
curiosity.”

Toph nodded. “But nevertheless, you came, and I am appreciative.”

The man cleared his throat. “May I—May I ask why we have been called here?”

“Some years ago, I found myself particularly bored—bored enough to have discovered a way to
bend metal,” Toph explained, her lips curving up into a nostalgic smile as she remembered the
evening she managed to bend a metal milk jug that Fen had brought up for her. She was about
twelve years old and had been so angry about an argument with her parents that she managed to
bend a hole through the jug. It was not until there was milk spilling all over her floor that she
realized what she had done.

The sense of accomplishment she felt at that moment was incomparable, and she swore that she
would do anything to feel the same way whenever she could.

She continued, “I have reason to believe that you, too, have the ability to metalbend, and I plan on
unlocking that ability by teaching you both in this academy, should you accept.”

Their shock was evident in the way their bodies tensed up and their heartbeats accelerated beneath
her feet, and Toph could not stop her smile from widening.

The girl was the first to break the silence. “I do not even know your name and now you are
claiming to have the ability to bend metal? Are you mad, lady?”

“Perhaps, but both of your issues may be resolved now.”

“How?” asked the girl.

Toph walked over to a large metal slab that was leaning against the wall—she guessed that it was a
tabletop—and without any pause, she shaped it into her family’s symbol, a flying boar. The pair’s
shock increased and Toph turned toward them. “You may refer to me as Sifu for the time being—
until I have decided that I may trust you.”

The man took one step toward her and nervously bowed his head. “I am Ho-Tun, and it would be a
great pleasure to be under your instruction, Sifu.”

It was the girl who shocked her because her skepticism had been quite palpable from the moment
Toph entered the room. But now, after having seen Toph’s skillful demonstration, the girl dropped
her arms from her chest. “I am Penga. And I suppose that I am quite intrigued.”

“I will arrange lessons via correspondence and we shall meet here at least once monthly—
preferably at dusk,” Toph demanded. “You are not to utter a word about this as it will bring
consequences to us all. I am sure you are aware of the illegitimacy of bending, so it is important
that this rule is followed. I will do everything in my power to avoid being discovered as should
you. Do you understand?”
 Penga placed her hands on her hips and popped them out. “And how should we know that this is
not some sort of con? That you are simply doing this for payment or something else?”

“Have I asked for payment?” Toph began to regret inviting her to join the academy with all
questions and skepticism. But she supposed that it was acceptable. Had she been approached at
random and told that a bending art she thought was nonexistent did, in fact, exist, she would have
thought it outlandish as well.

“Fair enough,” she mumbled.

Toph gave her a nod. “So, here, at my notification at least once monthly?”

Ho-Tun and Penga both nodded in return, and the former said, “Thank you, ma’am. Here at dusk at
your instruction.”

“Will we be your only two students?” Penga asked, examining the flying boar Toph bent.

“For now, yes. I should hope that I may depend on you to help me search for more pupils at a later
date.”

When they gave her affirmative responses, Toph felt satisfied enough to let them leave. Though,
before they parted, she did tell them to write down their addresses to give to her so that she was
able to have Fen contact them about lessons. Finally, she told them to take their leave before she
exited—she wanted to make sure that no one saw them exit the temple.

But someone had seen them leave because she felt their presence. Her chest tightened and she
wanted to yell until her throat went raw. She knew that heartbeat anywhere.

Someone had followed her.

Sokka had followed her.

Chapter End Notes

i'm finding myself having to hold back from publishing the following chapter today,
yikes. so much is happening and it's going to all unravel soon, so stick with me y'all lol

hope you enjoyed!

 Chapter 11
Chapter Summary

content warning: ~spice~

Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

Speechlessness was never a quality Toph possessed. She always had a clever quip for any insult or
situation, so much so that many people were puzzled by the swiftness of her responses at times.
Where others would stand stammering at a jab or circumstance, Toph was never puzzled; she
always came up with something, anything, to retort. It was as though it was a talent of hers, an
additional sense of a sort if there was such a thing.

But as she stood before Sokka that afternoon on the porch of the temple that would become her
academy, Toph was bereft of speech.

All she was able to manage was, “Sokka. This a—what a—what a—”

“Surprise?” he finished for her, taking one step in her direction. She was shocked to notice that he
was the one to speak so steadily and confidently in the face of confrontation when that was not
very often the case with him. “Indeed. It is a surprise for me, as well, to see you alone on the
outskirts of Gaoling at an abandoned temple.”

“Oh, well, yes. Here I am. It is a lovely temple, is it not? Huge, too. Very, uh, sizable.”

“Interesting. And why are you, Nǚshì Toph Beifong, at an abandoned temple with a couple of
children? I never thought you were particularly fond of them, or much less… spiritual.”

Toph knew that voice well. He was testing her; he knew that she was keeping something from
him. She had not prepared an excuse for being caught there because she did not count on that ever
happening, so she cleared her throat and tried to make herself look as innocent and confident as she
possibly could, and seriously said, “I have found prayer.”

“You?”

“Oh, yes. Aang has—he has gotten to me. He and his meditation and talk of temples and peace and
centering. He has convinced me to get into it all, and so, I remembered coming here as a child,
barely in leading strings was how young I was, in fact, and I decided to come back. To—to pray
and meditate some. The, um, the Spirits… they were calling to me.”

“Interesting. And the two people you were with?”

“Ah, them. Yes, they are a part of my, uh, spiritualism…group.” She had the desire to give herself
a firm smack in the face. There was absolutely no world in which Sokka would believe what she
was saying.

He was silent for a painful few seconds and she began to grow unsettled. Then, he walked over to
the temple’s door and turned to look at her. “Well, you have enlightened me.”
She furrowed her eyebrows in confusion as her heart accelerated. He could not enter that temple.
“Beg pardon?”

“I believe I have the urge to enter the temple and pray; become one with the Spirits.”

“Now it is my turn to say that I did not think you were a spiritual person—at least not enough for
you to step foot into this temple to… become one with the Spirits as you so fervently claim.”

“Oh, no, no. In that you are correct,” he said immediately, rushing over to her to grab her gloved
hand in both of his and squeeze it. “But I intend to pray for you.”

This man was undoubtedly talking nonsense at that point and she truly wanted to send him to all
hell as soon as she could, but she also had an inkling that there was a point to the spectacle he was
putting on. Treading lightly, she said, “I do not need anyone to pray for me.”

Sokka clicked his tongue. “You most certainly do, dear friend, because prayer is the only thing that
is going to save you by the time I am through.”

Was that a threat? It could not have been because he knew that she could very well eject him into
the following century with the flick of her wrist. Toph raised her eyebrow comically high and
pulled her hand away from his indignantly. In a dangerously low voice, she repeated, “I beg your
pardon.”

If she knew Sokka well, he would have wanted to laugh in her face had it not been for how furious
he seemed. So instead of laughing, he scoffed ironically. “For a truth seeker, you are a terrible
liar.”

He quickly brushed her aside and made for the inside of the temple like a madman. Toph’s eyes
widened when she realized that he was going to attempt to snoop and find out what she was doing
there.

After making sure there were no prying eyes near them, she sent barrel after barrel of earth in his
direction, but the bastard managed to avoid every single one. For a moment, she wondered whether
she was becoming predictable or if he knew her so well that he anticipated her next moves. But it
took her no time to get back to the task at hand and try to stop him from entering further into the
temple…

… to no avail.

“Sokka!” she yelled frantically, running after him. “Get back here, you unlicked cub! I will bring
so much harm unto you that you have not even heard of!”

He ignored her, but she could tell that it was in favor of looking around for something that would
lead him to what he was searching for. A few excruciating seconds ticked by, and he stopped
moving as he looked toward the basement door. Her heart dropped into her stomach and she knew
that he had seen the panic-stricken look on her face.

His hand went to the knob. “Do you want to tell me what is in here before I check for myself?”

“I do not,” Toph declared, flicking her hand at the knob to hold it closed with her bending. “It is
none of your business and it is a secret. My secret.”

“Is a secret worth your welfare, then? Worth your life?”

She rolled her eyes at his tone and worry. “You are still on that? I have told you innumerable times
that I am able to care for my own welfare. I do not need you or anyone else—”

“I do not care what you believe right now,” Sokka nearly roared, making her raise a brow. She had
never heard him speak to anyone like that, not even when she had seen him become angry on other
occasions. “Do you not understand how dangerous it is for you to roam alone around the outskirts
of a town like Gaoling? Or anywhere for that matter?”

“I can handle anything that comes to me. You do not have the right to tell me what I can do or what
I am able to handle. It is not your place, nor is it your place to uncover something that I do not wish
for you to.”

For a moment, his hand faltered on the knob, but he still held onto it. “Are you—were you visiting
a lover?”

Toph let out a surprised snort, then began to laugh maniacally, holding at her sides and leaning
against a chair nearby. Sokka’s anger increased, she could tell in the way his heart was beating,
and she decided that she should calm down.

After wiping away some stray tears she had shed due to her laughter and recomposing herself, she
cleared her throat and said, “No, Sokka. I was not visiting a lover, especially not with a pair of
children here with me. Are you demented?”

“It is not an outlandish assumption,” he muttered, then strengthened his grip on the knob again.
“Tell me what is in here. I demand it.”

“You demand it? Oh, goodness, I am cowering.”

He tried twisting it, but she kept a good hold of the knob from where she stood by flexing her
fingers. “Let go, Toph!”

“Not a chance, good sir.”

“You asked for it, then,” he mumbled just before he kicked down the wooden door and sped down
the steps toward the basement.

She should have anticipated that.

Toph groaned, lifted her skirts, and ran right after him into the lower level of the temple. When she
reached the last step, she could feel him crouching down in the middle of the undercroft in front of
the boar she had fashioned as he held a slip of paper.

“Oh Spirits,” he said. “Oh Spirits. ‘Do you fancy yourself an earthbender?’” he read. “‘If you are
brave enough to test your skills against a master, meet me at this address at dusk. Do not tell a
soul?’ What the hell am I reading?”

She almost smacked herself for not sweeping the room before she left. Penga must have let her
invitation parchment fall to the ground on her way in or out. “Sokka—”

“What is this, Toph? Please tell me that you are not running some illegal scheme, that you are not
attempting to get yourself arrested or worse .”

Toph shook her head, frankly irritated already and not understanding why she was wasting time in
front of him instead of simply leaving. She had entertained this for far too long.

She turned toward the stairs and said, “I do not have to answer to you. I owe you no explanations.”
With that, she stomped up the steps and outside, on a mission to find her hack. But despite
scanning the open and vast area, she found nothing other than Sokka’s carriage in front of the
temple and she cursed aloud. Had she not told the hackman to wait for her? That she would be
back in a short moment? It had been much less than an hour since she had entered the temple,
could he really not have waited a few more minutes?

Asshole.

Toph sank down onto the porch steps, the stone cool even through the thickness of her cloak and
the fabric of her dress. She thought about what her next move could be. The best option she had
was to steal Sokka’s carriage and have the coachman drop her off a few feet away from her
parents’ home, but she was not cruel. She did not want Sokka to walk all the way back to town,
regardless of the fact that he deserved to have to do so. And she was not about to go home on foot
herself because only a fool would do that.

It was also possible for her to walk a few minutes east toward South Guangji Street and hire a hack
there, but what if there were none available and she had made the walk for nothing? Unfortunately
for her, the only true option she had was to wait for Sokka to emerge from the temple, despite the
speech she was going to subject herself to. He knew where she lived, and unless she created a
tunnel to run off to Ba Sing Se or farther, she was not going to escape a confrontation.

She sighed. Sokka would probably find her in Ba Sing Se if she ran, the seasoned traveler he was.
And she did not very much want to go to Ba Sing Se, anyway.

Before she heard him, Toph felt Sokka come up behind her. His voice was clipped and cold. “Get
up.”

Toph remained seated for a few moments only to spite him. The fact that he was attempting to
order her around just because he believed he could was angering her more so than she was already.
So she took some breaths and stood up wordlessly, knowing that the sooner she left this place and
him behind, the better.

He jerked his head in the direction of the street and grabbed her arm. “Into the carriage.”

“Unhand me,” Toph commanded, pulling her arm out of his grip harshly with what she knew was a
poisonous look on her face. “Do not speak to me this way. You have absolutely no right to tell me
what I can and cannot do. You are lucky that we are out in public or I will have buried you right in
this spot.”

Sokka groaned and gestured toward the street again. “It is either you come with me or you walk all
the way back to town. Your choice.”

Just to antagonize him, she would have walked her little self all the way home, but she had already
talked herself out of that same thing moments ago. She sent him the most poisonous glare she was
able to before childishly stomping over to the carriage and climbing up just as she heard Sokka
give the driver her address and tell him to “take the long way.”

The last thing she wanted was a soliloquy from this man, but now, she was going to have to
swallow one as he wanted to take the long way to Beifong House. Wonderful.

Silence had overtaken the carriage, save for the ostrich horse’s galloping, for a good thirty seconds
before he set a piece of parchment onto the passenger’s seat. “I believe that this belongs to you.”

She knew that it was the invitation she had given her new students, so she took it and shoved it into
her reticule carelessly. Her hands balled into fists immediately after that.

“Do you want to know what I am doing right now?”

“Not particularly.”

As if she had not responded, he continued, “I am trying to decide what I am most angry about
because there are a number of things to be angry with you about right now.”

“And what, pray tell, are you most angry with me about?” Toph asked, placing her hands on either
of her cheeks in mock interest. “I am just dying to know.”

“First of all,” Sokka said in an impressively even tone of voice, which suggested that he was trying
very hard to keep his bad temper in check. “I cannot begin to believe that you were mindless
enough to travel into the outskirts of Gaoling by yourself. On a hired hack, no less!”

“Not mindless, actually, because I was not about to use my family’s carriage for this matter. That
would have been mindless.”

Sokka huffed irritatedly. “Do you have any idea what could have happened to you?”

“Very little or nothing at all, frankly. Not only have I been here before but—”

“You have been here before??”

Toph groaned, letting her hands fall against her thighs with frustration. “Are you truly going to
require me to repeat myself? I should think you know better than that at this point.”

Sokka ignored her again. “Second of all, the fact that you are scheming a—uh, what exactly is it
that you are doing?”

She knew that the question was coming because of course it was. Even if he had not been angry
with her or had caught her in the act, he still would have asked her because that was how intrusive
Sokka was. With another groan, she said, “I was in the process of recruiting students to my
metalbending academy.”

He was quiet for a few seconds as he processed the information. “I never thought that you were so
witless to—”

“Do not call me witless, Sokka. Do not dare,” she hissed, effectively interrupting him. Something
that Toph could never manage well was being affronted just as he had been doing since he caught
her at the temple. She was many things, but she was not stupid nor mindless nor witless, and she
had had enough of it for one evening. “You have crossed several lines tonight and I will not allow
you to cross another. I have overlooked your behavior thus far—I am not your daughter nor your
sister nor your betrothed nor your wife for you to be treating me in such a tempestuous manner.
Come off it.”

He sighed shakily and leaned back against the seat, raking a hand over his face as he mumbled an
apology for his behavior. She could understand why he was acting this way, but there was no
reason for him to throw insults at her where she did not deserve them.

“I fail to understand your anger,” Toph told him, her eyebrows knitted together in frustration at his
sudden silence. Sokka was constantly becoming aggrieved for the smallest of reasons, not even just
at her. It was everything. There was something more to this. “This does not have anything to do
with you.”
As he chose to not respond, another bout of silence that overtook the carriage before he spoke up
again, this time, in a less belligerent manner. “Do you know what would happen to you if other
people found out about this? You would be ruined!”

“I do know, and I happen to believe that the benefits of my scheme, as you call it, outweigh the
costs.”

“Do they?” he inquired with a tone of urgency in his voice. “Because I do not think that you cutting
shams with this academy of yours and getting arrested outranks any such benefits you believe it
will reap.”

Toph sighed in exasperation, pulling her cloak and gloves off and discarding them on the other
side of the carriage, feeling quite overcome, and frankly, incensed. There were so many moving
parts involving her grounds for being so adamant about doing this that he would not understand or
even desire to. “I have my reasons.”

“Tell me them, then. Tell me why you would risk ruin for something like this.”

“It is something that I am building, something that I know would make a difference in the world of
those who I recruit and manage to teach, something that I have dreamed of since I have been able
to hold recollection,” she replied immediately, her nails digging into her palms. “It may not be
something legitimate because of the pansy-headed fools who run this damned government, but it is
something that is mine. I was unable to do anything with the Earth Rumble despite still
participating in it to this day, but I have the opportunity to do something with this. It is something
that I made, something that I know will bring about the very best in my students, and something
that no one will get to take from me no matter what the consequences may be.

“I want some sliver of happiness in my life, Sokka, just one. I have not been able to look forward to
much of anything recently because all I can think about is having to get married when I do not
want to. I am not—” she swallowed the lump forming in her throat; she would not be giving him
the satisfaction of seeing her cry— “I am not going to live my life unhappily because that is how
good society dictates it should be. And if my happiness comes from something unlawful, then so
be it, and you have no power to tell me that it cannot just because you possess a dick and I do not.”

Sokka just stared at her in shock as she tried to control her breathing. Her heart was racing and she
could feel herself begin to sweat as her anger poured out of her. He must have been stunned by the
way she responded because he had tried to speak multiple times in the span of a few minutes to no
avail.

When he finally found the nerve to use his words again, he said, “This will ruin you, and I cannot
stand to see that happen.”

“Then look away because I am doing it whether you like it or not. This is not your decision, nor
will it ever be, so it is best you leave me to my own devices and if something should happen to me,
then that is what shall be.”

Sokka was taking in her words as there was evidently a lot to process on his part. Suddenly, he
jumped and turned to her fully. “Did you say you are still participating in the Rumble?”

Toph pursed her lips, recalling that she had, indeed, admitted that to him in her fury as she spoke.
She truly had not meant to, it was not something she wanted anyone to know, especially because
she was not participating in it as much as she could have been. With a low grunt, she said, “Yes. I
am already ruined, according to you, so my involvement will not make this better or worse for me.”
He shook his head. “You are incredibly infuriating, did you know that?”

“As are you,” Toph replied, finding the perfect opportunity to turn things over to him. “In fact, you
have recently done an unconquerable amount of infuriating things that have left me baffled.
Starting with the fact that all you do is run and not face your demons or issues.”

“You do the same thing, actually.”

She scoffed incredulously. “I do not run. That is your area of expertise, not mine. I do not take to
the world when things become difficult or things that I do not want to confront are standing before
me.”

“I do not do that.”

Toph shook her head to herself in disbelief. Did he want to hear only one out of the hundreds of
times he had done it since the beginning of that social season alone? She brought up a most recent
example. “You quite literally ran away in the middle of this season all because Malina suggested
you court me. That is quite sad, do you not think? Running away at the first sign of commitment
such as a courtship?”

Sokka kept quiet, the sound of the horses galloping being the only sound to fill the silent carriage.

With another shake of her head, Toph scoffed. “Why would you have become so skittish at the
thought of something as outlandish as courting me of all people? It was not even marriage she
requested. Besides, you would never in your right mind have gone through with something so
ridiculously ludicrous, and neither would I have, so why would you become so repulsed at the
mere suggestion of it?

“Because that is all it was, Sokka. A suggestion. So why even listen to this silly recommendation in
the first place and run off as though you have no spine to you?”

“Just like you,” Sokka said softly after a beat of silence, “I had my reasons.”

“Oh, I would love to hear them.”

The silence that fell upon the carriage was different than those before. It was charged with
something other than anger or shock this time around, but she could not put her finger on what
exactly it was that made the feeling different.

She did not have too much time to think, however, because before she was able to ponder on it
further, his fingers dug into her shoulders to turn her toward him, and he pressed his lips to hers for
a few seconds before she came to her senses and pulled away.

“What was that?” Toph asked in a shocked whisper, her eyes wide. He had just kissed her. “Why
did you—”

“Because I had my reasons,” he replied, running the pad of his thumb over her bottom lip as he did
That Day in her bedchamber. The motion caused pleasure and desire to spread throughout her
entire being, even to parts of herself that were forbidden to her and others. “I have my reasons,
Toph.”

Something warm and unfamiliar began to spread in her chest and throughout her body. It was as if
someone had lit her body on fire in the best way describable. The feeling started in her chest and
extended to her stomach, legs, arms… everywhere.
It was making her light-headed.

A while had passed since someone last spoke, so Sokka interpreted her silence as repugnance and
he immediately dropped his hands from her face and shoulder. “I apologize. I did not mean to insult
—”

The rest of his sentence went unsaid as she grabbed his face and eagerly pressed her lips against his
this time, missing his almost entirely. His hands went to her cheeks and there was no movement for
a second, just hurried breathing. She was about to question him, but he felt his lips on hers again
hungrily, caressing and rousing her soul. Her body was tingling everywhere he touched. Her
shoulders, her cheeks, her hips, and her skin felt as though they were catching fire, but she did not
care.

Nor did she care about the notion that what they were doing went against all societal rules. She
really could not have cared less. It felt right.

What she had experienced in her room weeks ago when he had almost kissed her was nothing in
comparison to the true action. The fire she felt continued growing and circulating and dizzying her,
but she was enjoying every minute of the tickle of his tongue against hers and his hands exploring
her body over the many tons of fabric she wore.

Determined to be a willing and active participant in this new endeavor, Toph reached up behind
him to pull the tie that kept his hair up off his head and ran her fingers through it. The sound of his
groan into her mouth when she pulled brought both delight and impetus to continue touching him
because she needed to hear it again.

His lips left hers with a pop and before she could grumble a protest, he was nibbling on her ear,
which elicited a moan of her own. He pulled away to trail down to her neck and suck right on her
pulse point with a smile. Spirits, she wanted to kick his ass for that.

Toph’s hand trailed exploratorily up Sokka’s thigh and she relished when she felt him shudder. She
stopped moving right before she got to the hardness between his legs. “Wipe that smirk off your
face, or so help me— oh.”

Sokka’s teeth raked the skin on her neck and all she could do was moan again, throwing her head
back to give him greater access as his fingers began working on the buttons of her dress and
exposed her collarbone. Anything she was going to threaten him with fell dead on her lips.

He chuckled. “You were saying?”

“Bastard,” she managed when he laid her back onto the seat and carefully slid her bodice down,
letting his palm rest upon her breast, grazing her nipple. “Bastard a million times over.”

The dark laugh he let out was something of a vice to her as his calloused hand kneaded her bosom,
making the fire in her belly burn more intensely. She hated that he was having this effect on her,
but even she had to admit that she was enjoying it more than anything she ever had before.

He did not give her the opportunity to recover fully from the feeling of his finger tracing circles
around her nipple before he took her left breast in his mouth and pinched the other between his
thumb and index fingers. Toph bucked off the bench in surprise, unashamedly pressing her hips up
against his and making him let out a low groan. She gasped. She was twenty-five years old, old
enough to know what this hardness against her meant. She had just never expected it to feel so hot,
so insistent. When she settled back down, he ground against her, holding her in place as he
pleasured her.
She had never loved being handled as much as she did then.

“Touch me,” he told her breathily against her chest.

Despite not being one to follow instructions, Toph immediately brought her hands to his back and
pressed her palms into his shoulder blades, then let her fingers rake his hot skin. At that, he tugged
on his shirt, pulling it free from where it was buried in his breeches, and she promptly slipped her
hands under the fabric to run them along the hot skin on his back. His jolt when she touched him
indicated to her that he rather enjoyed the feeling of her cool hands on him.

Sokka began to kiss a trail up from her breasts to her neck and chin, and his mouth took hers again,
this time with more fervor. His hand went beneath her to grab her derriere and push her up into his
arousal. She audibly sighed at the feeling of his hardness and she wished for both the possible and
the impossibly impossible. Beyond sensation, there was no longer any cause. There was only need,
want, and this intense awareness of the now.

“I want you,” he said into her mouth, extracting her own thoughts. “I want to be inside you and to
sink into you and never let you go.”

Toph gasped again with desire, knowing that she particularly wanted that, too. She understood that
there was more that he could do to her, more to experience, and she needed it from him now.

His hands and lips grew more frantic. “Toph. Toph, I—” He lifted his head. Very abruptly.

“What is it?”

“We have stopped,” Sokka whispered, slowly climbing off of her. “We have stopped directly in
front of Beifong House.”

Toph sat up and grunted, smacking her hand against her forehead, her warmth and pleasure
disappearing at once. There was absolutely no way in hell that her parents did not see Sokka’s
carriage stop in front of her house. She knew that there was no way out of this.

“How fucking lovely.”

Sokka grabbed her wrist and gently pulled it away from her face, moving the hair away from her
eyes. As if reading her mind, he asked, “What is the likelihood that your mother and father did not
see my carriage just now?”

“Highly unlikely,” she muttered, yanking at the bodice of her gown in an attempt to make herself
decent to no avail. She groaned and huffed in frustration, giving up on her dress. “They look out
the windows as if it were their damned job.”

He grabbed the bodice, swiftly pulled it up and over her bosom, buttoned her gown up again, and
proceeded to make himself look a bit presentable. “Do you think they will recognize my carriage?”

“After all these years of you, Zuko, and Aang being my only male callers, I am sure that they
know that this is your carriage.”

Toph was trying hard to not lose it as she thought of what the consequences of her wanton behavior
were. If her father had seen them—and she believed that he had without a shadow of a doubt—he
was going to seek a special license and force her to marry Sokka within days.

“Your hair is a mess,” Sokka pointed out, reaching toward her. “May I?”
She shrugged, not knowing what else to do because she truly did need some help making herself
look somewhat proper. Slowly, his hands worked to fix the strands of her hair that were out of
place. When that was done, he took the opportunity to wipe the smeared rouge off the side of her
lips. She tried not to shudder at the action.

He took a convulsive breath. “I think the next logical step here is for me to ask your father for your
hand before he makes a rash decision. That way, it will be in our hands, not his, when I ask you to
marry me.”

Toph’s brows knitted together as if she had heard him incorrectly. “You wish to marry me? You
must have gone mad.”

“I am not mad; you are mad if you think that I will allow you to be ruined in the eyes of your
family and in the eyes of society. It is not what you deserve.”

“I do not care about being ruined, you dunderheaded fool,” she argued, feeling angered by his
words. She was not sure if she was more enraged over the fact that he wanted to get her down an
aisle or if he was merely offering out of duty. “I do not, under any circumstances, wish to marry,
Sokka, and I will avoid that fate at all costs if I can help it. And you do not want to marry me,
either, so I believe that this matter is settled. Marriage is entirely out of the question."

“If you are to believe that I will allow you to be ruined, it is you who does not know me. I am a
gentleman. And you and I both know that even if you do not care about the ton, you care about
your family and you wish to not bring shame to them. Not only that, but if they know that I have—
that I have compromised you without so much as declaring my intentions for you, they will not be
happy with you.

He had her there, and she did not even mind that he disregarded the last part of her spiel. She
clamped her mouth shut and pulled her gloves, which he had just placed before her, back on. The
last thing she wanted—as much as her parents irked her—was to bring a curtain of shame upon
them. And she could just not endure the resentment they would hold toward her if word of the
liberties they took got out.

“They will have seen you, Toph, you said it yourself,” he spoke again. “We are directly outside of
your household. It matters not if we were truly seen, however. The risk is enough. Do not give your
father the satisfaction of fixing this marriage because you know he will if he witnessed us arriving
together.”

It was a very intelligent move, she had to give it to him, as much as his offer to her tempted her if
only for the mere idea of beating her father to it, she could not accept. Something was stopping her
from accepting his very improper but very Them proposal, however, something that was no longer
about her not wanting to marry.

She did not want to find out what that something was.

Her throat was tightening and she could feel her eyes burning, but by all that was good, she was not
going to allow herself to falter in front of him, not after what had just happened between them and
certainly not after feeling what she felt with him just then.

“I cannot marry you.”

Knowing that he had lost the argument and knowing that she was not going to relent if he
continued pushing, Sokka simply nodded, asking her if she was ready to go. When she told him
that she was, he had the driver open the carriage door to let them out. She questioned him about
 what he was doing and he insisted that he was not just going to leave her there without walking her
to the door.

Toph begrudgingly took Sokka’s hand when he offered it to her in order to help her out of the
carriage, and even through her gloves, she could feel the warmth he radiated. She tried to ignore it
as she let herself step onto the pavement in front of her parents’ home. But as soon as her feet
touched the ground, she tensed.

“What?” Sokka asked with concern. “What is it?”

“Take a guess.”

It did not take Sokka long for his eyes to land on the figure standing a few feet away from them.
He sighed defeatedly.

Lao Beifong stood in front of the gates of Beifong House, his arms crossed and his jaw set. It was
a stance Toph knew all too well because he used it many times whenever he would confront her
about anything when she was younger. The hairs at the back of her neck stood up, confirming what
she knew. He had seen them arrive together.

“My study, now,” Lao demanded, his voice stern and low. “Both of you.”

Chapter End Notes

and that's what you missed on Glee!

also, side note to the peeps who've read Bridgerton: i love how this chapter comes out
two days after Nichola Coughlan—Penelope Featherington in Bridgerton—posted an
Instagram story hinting at the fact that she shot the carriage scene that inspired this
chapter. timing? amazing.

as always, i hope this chapter was properly enjoyed by you all, dearest readers

oh, and there will be a much-awaited appearance from A Certain Character who hasn't
been featured—only talked about—in the next chapter :)
 Chapter 12
Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

From the moment they were ushered into Lao Beifong’s study, they were scolded for being
reckless, foolish, and outright dishonorable, and Toph could not care less. All she was able to think
about was the fact that this whole long-winded conversation with her father and Sokka was going
to lead to a wedding.

What had just transpired between the two of them was not lost on her, however, and she very much
wanted to keep herself thinking about Sokka’s touches and his kiss but thinking about the prospect
of marrying him unsettled her just enough to not do so just then.

And while it was true that the only lifeline she had at that moment was Sokka’s hand squeezing
hers discreetly beneath her father’s desk, the prospect of their marriage was her only focus.

The feeling of Sokka’s thumb caressing the top of her hand was what brought her to attention, not
because of the pressure he was putting into the action but because of the way it made her shiver
involuntarily.

“The two of you will marry in the coming weeks; two at the latest,” Lao said sternly, pointing at
them. “I will see to it that you obtain a special license to avoid any talk of whatever liberties were
taken with my daughter.”

Toph’s jaw clenched and she stood, dropping Sokka’s hand. “Father—”

“No. You do not have a say in this. You do not. You lost any kind of say you had when you
decided to frolic with Lord Naitok’s son in a carriage on a usually busy street. It was lucky that it
was dark out and no one was standing around,” he scolded, accentuating every other word with an
angry punch to his desk. “And to think that this could have all been avoided if I had just sought a
license for you to marry Xiansheng Satoru. But this union should be fine—this man is the son of a
viscount, after all, and you are both seen with each other enough to seem as though you have been
discreetly courting…”

Toph bit down on her tongue so hard that she drew blood as Sokka uncomfortably shifted in his
seat. The fact that her father was already concocting a lie to feed people about how she and Sokka
supposedly came together was making her ten times angrier than she had been seconds prior.

“Your mother is not to hear a word of this,” Lao continued. For the first time since Toph had been
alive to experience it, her father was showing concern for the state of her mother’s distress. The
world must have been truly ending. “It would break her heart to know that you allowed yourself to
be dishonored—”

Toph scoffed. “I did not allow myself to do anything! I was—”

“And I will not stand for her to have to suffer for your insensitivity,” he continued. “If word of this
gets out, I do not think you can even fathom the shame that you will have brought to this family.
You were careless with your virtue, daughter. You know better than this, and we believed as much,
which is why we allowed you to go so long without marrying. But since you do not, this is how
things must be. You two will marry. Is that clear?”

Sokka immediately muttered, “Yes, sir.”

“This is ridiculous—”

“Is that clear?”

Toph was nearly panting, she was so angry. No one had seen them in the carriage, she was certain
of it, so wedding arrangements were wholly unnecessary and her father was simply using this as an
excuse to get her married off after so many years. Still, she knew better than to argue with her
father any more than she had already attempted, so she gritted her teeth, gave him an about-face,
and stormed out of the study, slamming the door loudly behind her.

She did not know where to go, but she sure as hell was not going to stay in her household, so she
hiked up her skirts, went up to her room, and began to haphazardly shove things into a traveling
sack.

There were tears falling from her eyes, though none were shed out of sorrow; they were shed out of
wrath. She had spent years avoiding marriage, never giving in to temptation, never venturing
beyond her late-night fantasies in order to not be forced down the aisle. Yet one misstep was what
did it for her.

However enjoyable that misstep might have been.

What the hell had gotten into her? She did not ever feel any sort of way toward Sokka, yet the past
few weeks had been filled with nothing but thoughts of him. And despite what had just happened
with her father, the moment his lips touched hers was at the forefront of her mind; it was all she
could concentrate on. She had never felt what she was feeling for Sokka for anyone or anything
and it was terrifying to her.

So the best option was to leave. Leave her house, leave the ton, leave society. It was the only
option she had if she was to avoid what was to come.

Once she had managed to shove a good chunk of her belongings into her bag, Toph swept the rocks
off her mantle, slipped on her travel cloak once again, and waited for Fen to check in on her for the
evening, which took less than a few minutes.

The lady’s maid softly knocked on Toph’s door and entered when Toph told her to.

“What—what is all this?” was the first thing out of Fen’s mouth.

“I am quitting Gaoling,” Toph replied. “I want to wait for everyone to make themselves scarce and
I am going to slip out and leave—”

“What of your academy?” she asked with urgency. “You built it up, recruited students, and I would
hope that they showed up this evening to meet with you. What—you are truly going to leave
without seeing it through?”

For a sliver of a second, Toph had forgotten about her academy. So much had happened since she
was able to meet with Ho-Tun and Penga that it had all slipped her mind. To be honest, she was not
sure what would happen to her academy. Perhaps she would have Fen send them correspondence to
let them know that the location was moved or that notification of any practice sessions would be
postponed until further notice, maybe even tell them that the academy was no more. She would
have to figure it all out soon.

So Toph just shook her head. “I have not thought about that just yet.”

“Is this because of the betrothal?”

“Fen, how—”

“I heard everything,” she admitted. Then asked, “Is it?”

Toph swallowed and nodded. “I cannot go through with it. I will not marry. I will not be giving up
my freedom as if it were nothing, Fen. I am a spinster and despite my parents’ wishes, I will never
marry.”

Fen walked over to her and took her hands gently. “Xiansheng Sokka would never ask you to
relinquish your freedom, ma’am. It is—he holds you in too high regard to ever ask that of you.”

Toph knew that. She knew that he would never. They had known each other for too long for her
not to know that. But that was just it—too much was changing and she needed to be sure that
things between them were not going to continue doing just so. And the fact that he was consuming
her every thought was not much helping matters.

During many a conversation with Katara and Malina, the two of them always told Toph that one
should marry the man who felt like her dearest friend. In Toph’s case, that was Sokka. It was
something that she had always put at the back of her mind because she was never going to marry.
And it was Sokka. Why would she have ever thought of him any differently? But whenever they
brought it up, all she would think about, truthfully, was him. It was always a thought that she
dismissed, to be sure, but would it truly be so horrible to go through with a marriage to someone
she herself held in high regard as well?

She shook her head. Of course, it would be. “I do not care,” she finally told Fen, pulling her hands
out of her grip. “I cannot go through with it. It is against everything I have imagined for myself.”

“It is no time to be stubborn, Toph. We are talking about your happiness.”

“Marriage will not make me happy—”

“But love will.”

Toph froze and she was sure that the look on her face was comical because in what world did any
of this have to do with love? She knew well that she was fond of him, they had been friends for
more than ten years, for goodness sake. But love him? As much as one was able to love a friend, of
course, nothing more.

A sinister voice in her head reminded her that friends were not supposed to feel the way she felt
about what they had done, or the way she had been feeling for the days leading up to it.

She stood up abruptly at the thought to put it out of her mind and shouldered her bag. “You know
not of what you speak.”

Fen had the audacity to scoff. “I believe I know more than you are currently willing to admit, but
alas, it is truly none of my business as you are making so clear. I shall help you take your leave
from this estate, but it is up to you what you do when you are gone.”

Never had Fen spoken to Toph in that way—so coldly and clipped. Toph concluded that she did not
wish to experience it again, though the sentiment was not vocalized. She did not like disappointing
the people she held dear, and she never thought she would disappoint Fen—the single person who
had been there for her through everything. Her throat tightened with emotion and she tried to push
it down as Fen looked through the bag Toph was holding to make sure that she had everything she
needed.
“What will you tell Xiansheng Satoru?” Fen asked, placing some nightgowns into her travel bag
and closing it. “You cannot be so callous to run off without giving him so much as an explanation.”

Toph deflated. She had forgotten about Satoru. The poor man, who had asked for her hand and told
her to think on it before he asked her father, deserved more than to learn that she had left Gaoling,
by all accounts, betrothed and without speaking with him.

Running her hand down her face, Toph said, “Pen him a message. Tell him to meet me at the large
rock at the very edge of the park near the creek. And tell him, also, to ensure that no one sees him.
I would assume that he will be here a bit after dawn to call on me. Give him the message then.”

“Very well,” Fen said, searching through Toph’s drawers to find her stationery set. There was
some silence around the room, save for Fen’s scribbling, as she wrote down Toph’s message for
Satoru and sealed the letter. “All set for tomorrow.”

Toph nodded once. “If anything were to happen, I will be at the arena for the night in order to see
through to my conversation with Satoru. From there, I am afraid that I will not share my location
until I see fit.”

Fen nodded in return curtly. “Noted.”

“For what it is worth,” Toph said before getting ready to escape her residence through the
basement, “I am sorry. I wish things were different.”

“They can be different. You just refuse for them to be.”

Toph swallowed the lump in her throat, murmured that she would miss Fen, and took her leave
from her bedchamber for the last time. Despite her best efforts, a tear slipped down her face, but
she quickly wiped it as she pulled the hood of her travel cloak onto her head and snuck down to
Beifong House’s basement.

As she stepped out into the night, she shivered despite her cloak. It was rare that summer nights in
Gaoling were cold, but when they were, it was as though the summer was long gone. Toph gritted
her teeth and set her course to the Rumble arena through the bushes so as to not be seen by those
who still roamed the streets.

Her mind was racing with thoughts of marriage and her wanton actions. Thoughts of Sokka and
Satoru and her students. She was a right mess and she did not even know where to begin cleaning it
up.

The idea of having to wed, do the exact thing she sought to avoid for so long, was making her sick
to her stomach and she wanted someone to blame; she wanted to blame Sokka so badly for making
her views of him change and for compromising her. Though, as much as she wanted to place fault
upon him, she could not. She was just as responsible as he was if not more. She had had the
opportunity to stop it from escalating, but she did not, and she was not sure she would have even
wanted it to stop.

Making her way into the arena after the short walk, Toph locked herself into one of the preparation
rooms, threw her belongings into a corner, and laid down on the earth she had just softened. She
attempted to get herself to sleep, to succumb to the fatigue she so felt, but she was unable to. Her
hands closed into fists as her eyes began to water and she let herself cry—really cry—for the first
time that evening.

Toph could feel the room falling apart in some places but she did not care. She was feeling too
much, and too much was happening, and she just needed it all to stop. There was not a clue in her
head as to how she would manage such a stunt, but it all needed to cease.

It took her a while, but she managed to calm herself down after nearly destroying the arena’s
preparation quarters, and she decided to put together a plan of sorts. And come the morning, she
felt more put-together than she had in weeks, a new kind of pep in her step.

While it was true that Toph had not managed to sleep a wink, she got to thinking about what she
would tell Satoru when the time came. She would tell him that she was sorry, that she wished
things were different, and that she desired the best for him. Then, her journey to true spinsterhood
would begin in earnest.

She concocted the perfect scheme and no one was to tell her otherwise.

Toph got an early start in her trek to the park, considering the fact that she had gotten no sleep.
There were very few people there, despite the time of the morning, and she counted herself lucky
as she did not wish for many people to bear witness to her conversation with Satoru—his valet
would suffice, and even he would be too big of an audience.

For what felt like hours, Toph waited upon the large rock she expected Satoru to meet her at, and
with each passing second, she grew tenser. The last thing she wanted was to break this
unsuspecting man’s heart, but it had to be done.

She felt him approaching when the heat of the sun began to beat harder against her skin. His steps
were quiet and he seemed nervous.

At least she was not the only one who was.

He sat by her before he said anything. The rock was big enough to hold them and three others by
Toph’s estimations, and he managed to respect her space as he took that into consideration.

“Good day, Toph,” Satoru told her after making himself comfortable. “I have to say that when I
received your message from your lady’s maid, I was surprised to see that you wanted to meet at a
more… remote location than what we are used to.”

Toph figured that it was best to get straight to the point, so she took a deep breath, and said,
“Satoru, I—I have asked you here to let you know that I must—”

“End this courtship?”

Her mouth hung open for less than a second, and she immediately closed it, slowly nodding.
“Exactly that. How did you know?”

Satoru let out a breathy laugh, as though he had known that she was going to ask the question
before she even said it. “I suppose that I realized you and I were doomed from the very start. It
became evident to me after Nǚshì Suki’s ball when I met Xiansheng Sokka.”

She furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. “Whatever do you mean?”

Satoru laid back against the rock, crossing his legs at his ankles and taking a deep breath before
responding. “It is not something I am able to describe, but I was able to tell that there was
something that not even he or you were aware of. I was able to tell that the two of you… the two of
you are quite fond of each other. And it made me think that whatever you and Xiansheng Sokka
have is something that I wish to find with my own bride someday.”
Her mind went to Suki’s words at the garden soirée after she overheard Sokka’s conversation with
Zuko and Aang; how Suki had asked whether Toph knew how fond Sokka was of her. Toph
wondered if that was the same place Satoru was coming from.

“Oh, no, Sokka and I have—”

“You must know that I hold no resentment,” he interrupted quickly before she could continue. “I
am merely appreciative that we were able to have the time we had together. And you are truly one
of the best people I have ever met. I do hope that we may remain friends at the very least. I have
never laughed with anyone as much as I have with you this past season, and I am afraid that if we
lose contact, I will be quite miserable.”

Toph allowed a small smile at that. “I am told that I am quite comedic.”

“Without a shadow of a doubt.”

They laughed, then went silent, listening to the water in the creek flow and the sound of people
chatting a short distance away. She did not deserve for him to be so genteel and well-mannered
about this matter; she deserved to be told off and sent straight to hell.

The thought of the betrothal to Sokka invaded her thoughts again and she sighed. This should not
have happened, none of it should have. It was not as though she wanted to marry anyone at all, but
Satoru had been wonderful. What would have been a task that caused her no distress or sadness,
was causing her exactly that because of how lovely he had been to her.

“Satoru, uh, I suppose I should also tell you that, as of last night, I am betrothed,” Toph told him
quietly. “I believe that you should be the first to know as I do not want you to learn about it in the
columns. I did not mean for this to happen… It quite literally just… did. And I am so sorry.”

He sat up quickly and comfortingly placed his hand over hers. “No, please. What has happened
was meant to happen, I am sure. Do not be sorry—never be sorry—when love is involved.”

Toph remained silent and figured that Satoru could not have been more incorrect. She was certain
that love had nothing to do with it at all.

When Toph had heard from Zuko that Azula moved to Whale Tail Island following her exit from
society, Toph had laughed. Azula did not seem like the type of person to want to take residence in
Air Nomad territory, but Zuko explained that she felt it appropriate since there was Fire Nation
blood scattered around the island. Azula herself had written to him to tell him that it was like being
home only without the vivid memories of their father lurking at every corner.

Understandable, frankly.

So, despite the fact that Toph detested water travel with a passion, she boarded the ship that would
take her to Whale Tail Island a mere half an hour after her conversation with Satoru.

It was far enough away from everything and everyone she wanted to avoid.

Toph had never traveled long distances alone; she was never allowed to because traveling alone
was a risk to jeopardize her reputation and expose her to gossip about her virtue. To her, it was a
most ridiculous rule. Still, she made sure to keep her cloak on the entire time and not stray away
from the crowds of people on board.

And it took her less than a day of travel—fourteen hours!

Her stomach was still very much in knots as she disembarked from the ship, and as soon as she was
able, she dropped her belongings and threw up all the contents she had left in her stomach
somewhere into the bay.

If only her mother could see her now, being sick in public. Poppy would love it.

After she was finally able to get settled, Toph began the rather short trek to Azula’s dwelling.
From what she recalled being told, the woman lived in a large home—too large for one person and
the occasional maid—near the woods not too far off from the docks. Toph figured that finding a
clearing by the woods was not going to be too difficult, and it turned out that she was correct.

It took her nearly fifteen minutes to find it, but she managed to come across Azula’s large
residence. She noticed that it was about the same size as Beifong House with a stomp of her foot
for a look around. She huffed. All of this property belonged to Azula—no one was questioning her
or bothering her or giving her grief for wanting to live her life independently, not attached to
anyone or anything.

She felt a pang of jealousy toward her friend’s sister and questioned whether calling on Azula
unannounced was a wise idea. Perhaps Toph went unnoticed by the wealthy spinster and was able
to make a hasty exit before she did. She nodded, deciding that paying Azula a visit was
unintelligent on her part, and turned on her heel to catch the next ship back to Gaoling. Perhaps she
had made a mistake running off the way she had.

“Please do not tell me you were planning on leaving without so much as a greeting,” a snarky
voice called from above her as she began her walk back to where she had come from. Toph froze
where she stood and cursed under her breath as Azula continued. “I thought you a well-mannered
woman of polite society; imagine my shock to see that you have no decorum left to show for it.”

Toph turned around and angled her head toward where she heard Azula’s voice—it sounded as
though she was standing on her balcony. “Let us simply say that I needed time away from all of
that, so forgive my… lack of propriety. I figured that it was time to visit an old confrére.”

There was a bout of silence as Azula made her way down the steps inside her home and opened up
her front door for Toph. “My goodness, are you not a sight for sore eyes? Not that you would
particularly know about such matters.”

“Are you not going to invite me in?”

Azula chuckled and stepped aside, letting Toph into the dwelling, which had a much more
architecturally impressive interior. The stone the house—or better described as a mansion—was
made of was smooth and pure and just what Toph would have loved to bend. It was a spacious
home, she noticed as well, not too much furniture, which was fitting for a woman like Azula who
would likely seldom welcome guests. From what she could tell, the house was about three stories
with an attic. What Azula did with so much additional space, Toph did not know, but she fancied
herself quite envious of her acquaintance’s way of life.

She felt a nudge on her elbow as Azula sauntered away from her and into what Toph could assume
was her cookery as she followed her. Azula grabbed some fruits and cheeses and set them on a
cutting board to begin chopping.

“I am not one to allow my cooks to chop up my fruit,” Azula explained as she began chopping.
“There is something quite thrilling about cutting into things.”

Toph just nodded and leaned against the countertop, listening to the sound of the knife hitting the
cutting board and the fruit being sliced. A few more seconds passed and Azula groaned, letting the
knife fall upon the board, and she exasperatedly turned to Toph. “Why are you here? You and I
were never, how do you say, friends, particularly. I mean, I do not recall ever hating you or you
hating me, but we were not close and I am not one for small talk. So to what do I owe this visit? I
am growing tired of waiting for you to tell me.”

Had Toph been in a better mood, or perhaps not running away from her problems, she might have
laughed, but she did not. Instead, she shrugged, finding that she rather wanted to get it all off her
chest “Would you like the long or short version?”

Azula cocked her head curiously and said, “The latter.”

After making her swear that she would not tell a soul, it took about ten minutes for Toph to explain
what had occurred from the beginning of the season, leading up to the most recent events of the
forced marriage.

If ten minutes had been the amount of time it took to tell the short version, Toph was not sure she
wanted to know what the long version would have looked like.

She told her everything—save for the bending schemes she had been running—even of her and
Sokka’s accidental carriage endeavors, and she did not even know why. It was all bottled up within
her and the moment she was able to let it all out, she did so, which was very unlike her. Perhaps she
had spilled everything to Azula because they were never the best of friends and Toph knew that
because of this, she would hear the truth from her no matter what.

To her credit, Azula was silent and reactionless the whole time Toph was speaking, only moving to
continue her chopping. But as soon as Toph gave an indication that she was finished, Azula
laughed and Toph almost slapped her for it.

“You mean to tell me that it was not until now that you and that Water Tribe klutz did anything
together?” Azula howled, stabbing her cutting board with her knife as she clutched her stomach. “I
do not believe that for a moment.”

Toph stood there, gaping for a good few seconds because it seemed as though the fact that she had
been compromised by Sokka was all that stuck in Azula’s head during the conversation. “What is
that supposed to mean?”

Azula snorted. “You both seemed so taken with each other when I was still part of society that I
managed to convince myself that you were sneaking off to go basket-weaving whenever possible.”

“That is not—why would you—” A grunt. “Oh, I despise you.”

She laughed at her again and slid a platter of what Toph could tell were various different fruits and
cheeses in her direction. “It is true. I rather thought you compromised with the way that man
looked at you as though he wanted to ravish you paired with the way you acted around him.”

“And how did I act around him, then?”

“Are you truly going to make me say it, fuckhead?”

“Azula—”

“You acted, Toph,” she popped a slice of melon into her mouth, “as though you loved him. And
while we are on the subject of love and your marriage, you do seem like the kind of person to want
to marry for love no matter how many times you swear that you do not wish to do so at all. I
myself would consider marriage if only for that same reason…”

Toph bit down on her cheek at that. Unfortunately, Azula could not be more correct in that Toph
only sought to marry if it was, indeed, a love match. But alas, she assumed that love, as she knew
it, never existed, that it was a hoax. Only a few people were so fortunate to find someone that they
loved without any kind of burden attached to it that she thought it unfathomable. Toph was not
going to marry because she knew love like that did not exist for her, it was not in her cards, and she
was fine with that. However, when Fen insinuated that Toph loved Sokka, it was something that
did not seem as though it could be real at all. Hearing all of it from Azula, though, made it
different.

It made it seem real.

Still, Toph was not in the mood to be interrogated and put on the spot about her thoughts and
emotions, so she did what she did best and turned the tables.

In an attempt to change the subject, she straightforwardly asked, “Are you considering marriage to
Aang, then?”

Azula stopped chewing and spat her bolus into her napkin. “Beg pardon?”

“You, Aang, marriage?”

There was some nervous silence. Then, “Which one was Aang again?”

Toph shook her head, no longer being able to hold back her own laughs. “You know, the one
gentleman you have been corresponding with.”

“I do not know what you mean.”

Toph smirked at the change of pace in her heartbeat, something she never quite caught with Azula,
who had somehow found a way to fool her truth-seeking years prior. It was unsettling to Toph how
Azula was able to keep a normal heart rate when lying, but the fact that the signs of her lie were
there made Toph’s mood lift significantly. “I find it unnecessary to tell you that I am quite aware
that you lie.”

Abruptly, Azula took the platter of snacks into her den, pulled out a couple of glasses and a bottle
filled with alcohol, and slumped into a chair, but not before pointing two fingers at her fireplace to
set the wood ablaze with ease. “If I recall correctly, we were not talking about me. We were talking
about your love affair with the Water Tribe klutz.”

“And I do not wish to speak about it.”

“I do not hear you denying it.”

Toph paused. “I deny it.”

Another snort from Azula. “How very convincing.”

“I have never wanted to marry, Azula,” Toph sighed, taking a slice of an orange that was laid out
on the platter. “I do not. It is not a life I would enjoy. What I do enjoy, however, is being a
spinster, and had it not been for, well, what happened as of late, I am certain that I would have
managed to remain one for as long as possible without my parents meddling. But now—”

“Now you must marry the love of your life,” Azula interrupted, filling the glasses with whatever
liquid she had brought. “How fucking pitiful.”

“He is not the love of my life.”

“My pet,” Azula said, sarcasm dripping from her tone as she pressed a glass into Toph’s hand, “you
may deny it all you wish, truly, but it does not signify. It is quite evident that you love him and the
quicker you realize that, the quicker you will cease being so miserable and the less you will darken
my doorstep. But I digress.”

“Well,” Toph huffed, “now I am here and I will remain here until I may find a place of my own.
None of that is my problem anymore.”

“Good luck with that.”

Toph remained quiet for a few moments, glaring daggers at Azula as best as she could with what
she had, then something popped into her head and she had to ask. “Azula?”

“Hm?”

“Did it truly look like we had—that Sokka and I have been, uh, sexually involved?”

The woman had the audacity to grin. “You have no idea.”

It was then that Toph decided that only a glass of what smelled like sake was not going to do it for
her, so she grabbed hold of the bottle and gulped down as much as she could tolerate the sound of
Azula’s cackling.

And what she could only assume were hours later, Toph woke up in a bit of cold sweat and with
faint a headache to the sound of whispered bickering in the distance. Although curiosity was biting
at her, she could not bring herself to stand up and investigate matters. All she was able to do was
remain as though she was anchored to the bed she was laying in and allow herself to doze off once
again.

She awoke again the following day, her headache gone but her earlier fatigue still looming, though
this time, she forced herself to get out of bed, and had a maid draw her a bath. It took the poor,
nervous woman more than fifteen minutes to get it done, and Toph made a mental note to run into
Fen’s warm embrace and never let her go if she ever returned to Gaoling.

It had only been a day, but how she missed Fen, and how much she regretted how she left things
with her.

Perhaps she would have one of Azula’s maids pen her a letter to inform her of her well-being later.

As she dipped into the hot water of the tub, Toph shut her eyes and tried to ward off all of the
thoughts she was having concerning her betrothal and what had happened in the carriage with
Sokka. It was all she could think about and she was growing tired of it being the only thing she was
able to focus on. It was no longer an issue—she was gone and it was uncertain that anyone was to
know where to find her, anyhow. Her problem had been resolved… at least for the time being.

She was, in truth, kidding herself because she had actually run away from her problem instead of
facing it as she should have—the very same thing she accused Sokka of doing so constantly. She
was unable to confront what she had to confront. Just as she was unable to sleep correctly the night
before because all she could think about was the way Sokka’s breath felt against her skin and the
way his mouth felt everywhere and—
 Toph sunk herself into the water to rid herself of the thoughts and resurfaced a few seconds after.
What she was feeling was not normal, she was sure of it. And to feel it toward Sokka of all people
was making her want to be physically sick. It was all changing too fast.

Too. Much. Change.

This was Sokka. Just Sokka. He could not change in her eyes. She forbade it. He was someone
who she could depend on for laughs and stories and a great time. He was not supposed to make her
feel like she could not so much as breathe without him near her.

She had never felt as suffocated as she did then, laying in Azula’s guest chamber’s tub. In the day
or so that she had been away, she had managed to not think much about Sokka, but she still did
here and there, and it was killing her.

And it was also vexing her.

Oh, she was properly vexed.

Even then, as she lay against the side of the tub, she could not get the damned man out of her head.

It was all probably a phase, anyhow. A side effect of being touched and pleasured in the way she
had been.

That is all it could have been.

After Toph grunted and decided that she was clean enough, she called for the maid and had her
fetch a towel in order for her to step out of the tub and proceed to get ready for the day ahead. She
had no idea what the hell she was going to do, but she figured that getting ready was the least she
could do if she wanted to feel normal to some degree.

When the maid offered to apply her cosmetics, Toph declined, not wanting to trust anyone but the
careful hands of Fen she so missed, and opted with getting into her half-corset and slipping into a
comfortable enough morning dress. With that and a murmured “thank you” to the maid, Toph
descended into Azula’s den, where she felt a very familiar presence.

She stopped in her tracks and cursed to herself, suddenly understanding where the whispers she had
heard the evening before came from.

“Ah!” Azula exclaimed from where she sat with the morning paper, sarcasm in all its glory. Never
since they had known each other had Toph heard Azula speak with such enthusiasm. “Look at who
else decided to grace us with her presence unannounced. What a surprise!”

Toph knew that the woman across from her wanted to kill her, but graceful as she was, she merely
turned her head in Toph’s direction and said, “A surprise, indeed.”

The calmness in her voice unsettled Toph, but what unsettled her more was the presence of a fourth
heartbeat when there were only three of them in the room. Still, she sucked in a breath and said,
“Lovely to see you, Sugar Queen.”

Chapter End Notes

shit's hitting the fan. what a time, amirite?

hope you enjoyed this one :)
 Chapter 13
Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

“Dearest sister-in-law, I do believe your best friend has much to say to you. You two are much
overdue for a chat, yes?” Azula asked with a snort, sliding out of her seat and folding her
newspaper neatly to set it on the table in front of her.

Toph was sure she was going to bury Azula the moment she had the chance.

When there was no answer from Toph or Katara, Azula clapped her hands once. “Grand. I shall
leave you to it.” And she left.

Two women and three heartbeats remained.

The silence and uncomfortable tension between the two best friends was deafening and Toph did
not quite know what to do with herself. They had never been in a predicament such as this one, and
Toph was not even sure what kind of predicament they were in, exactly—she just knew they were
in one and she did not like it one bit.

She also did not like that there seemed to be some news Katara was keeping from her, though she
figured that she could use that to her advantage when Katara unavoidably trapped her in a corner
later.

Finally, Katara chose to break the silence, but her voice damn near broke Toph when she spoke. “I
thought there were no secrets between us.”

“There are not—”

“Clearly there are, Toph, when I come over here following a hunch while in search of Aang and
find you instead,” Katara interrupted, her voice trembling. “For all that is good, would you please
tell me what is going on? Do you—do you not trust me?”

Toph shook her head, not able to move from where she was standing. She muttered, “Of course I
trust you. It is myself whom I do not trust.”

“What is wrong? I can help—”

“You cannot help me with this.”

Katara’s breath caught and she stood to hesitantly grab Toph’s hands in her cold ones. “You can
tell me anything. I will not judge you and this is something you should already know.”

Toph remained silent, her own breath catching a bit as she tried to not betray an expression on her
face. She wondered if Katara had managed to leave Gaoling before word of her engagement to
Sokka had spread as her father was to inevitably make certain of. Had she found out, it would have
been the first thing she would have asked once she knew of her presence at Azula’s home, to be
sure.

Breaking Toph out of her musings, Katara asked, “Does your being here have anything to do with
my brother, perchance?”
Again, she chose to not respond to Katara for a moment, but she did manage to find movement as
she pulled her hands out of Katara’s, opting to walk over to the bookshelf on the wall opposite
them. She had always loved the smell of books, and it was one of the reasons why she sometimes
escaped to the library in her home. She had admittedly not done the same in the past few months
because she truly had not had time, but she found that she missed their scent.

The same scent that was settling her nerves now.

Toph took a deep inhale before saying, “I do not know if that is any of your business.”

“If it is your business, it is my business, and that is how it has always been,” Katara said bitingly
from where she stood. “Do not tell me that our dynamic is to change after so many years. There are
no secrets between us.”

“Is that why, then, you have not told me that you are with child?”

Katara froze. “W—what?”

“Unless there is someone I do not know of with us in this den,” Toph said, quietly happy for her
friend despite the circumstances, “there is undoubtedly life in your womb.”

“I… I am with child?” Katara whispered to herself, bringing her hand up to her belly and settling it
there. “I am with child.”

“That has been established, yes.”

Her friend was much too overcome to speak for a few moments, but when she was able to, she
cleared her throat and said, “We will continue speaking of my news when we have cleared up
whatever it is that is going on with you because I simply cannot be fully happy about this while we
are quarreling.”

Toph scoffed at that, trying to ignore the tears of happiness for her friend in her eyes. “We are not
quarreling. You are fixing for us to quarrel. Those are two very different things.”

Deciding that she wanted to take a seat again, Katara took a few steps to her left and pulled herself
and Toph down onto a large settee. She clutched Toph’s hands tightly, likely to avoid her from
pulling away again. “Tell me what is happening. I have a feeling that it has something to do with
my brother with the way that he has been acting, so come along. Out with it.”

“How was he acting?” Toph blurted before she could stop herself.

“Why do you care?”

“He is a friend. Of course I would care about the state of him, Katara.”

She hummed, letting her hands go. “I do not have to be a truth seeker to know that you are lying.”

“Katara—”

“No. Secrets.”

Toph refused to open her mouth, so she simply looked away from Katara, and within what felt like
seconds, Katara gasped. “You love him.”

“That is not—”
“You love him and he—How could I have been so heedless to have not noticed—” she said
breathlessly. “You love my brother.”

Not wanting to discuss the matter further, Toph stood up and walked across the room again. The
words coming out of Katara’s mouth made her want to run off to the nearest chamber pot and be
sick. In a matter of a day, three people had told her the same thing: that she was in love with Sokka.
But that simply could not be correct—she did not wish for it to be and she was going to continue
convincing herself as much.

Or perhaps she just needed to stop trying to convince herself of anything and forget. Just stop
thinking and going around in circles over what were potentially the beginnings of an existential
crisis.

Forgetting it all sounded like a perfectly suitable option.

Katara spoke again as Toph never responded. “We had been wondering why you were not around
yesterday as I was packing for this trip—which I managed to take because I told Zuko that I was
going to visit one of my friends off in the country, but came here instead. That is a story for another
moment, however.

“Suki, Zuko, and I all assumed that you fell ill again after not seeing you turn up,” she continued.
“And Sokka… He was pacing around his room all day, wanting his only company to be fire
whiskey, and was acting shifty whenever we asked him about you. Why, he was a right mess
before I came here and now I know the reason. It was because of you. Because he is so gone for
you.”

“You know nothing.”

“I know enough to deduce that you love him, Toph, and I know you too well for you to have the
nerve to deny it,” she said. Then, she sniffed. “Can I ask… did anything transpire between the two
of you to have made him so unsettled and to have made you run off?”

Toph’s prolonged silence must have been answer enough for Katara again because she brought her
hand to her mouth in astonishment. “Oh, Toph. You two—You were forced into a betrothal, were
you not? You were compromised. He compromised you.”

There were times when Toph was so grateful that Katara knew her well enough that she did not
have to speak for her point to get across or for Katara to know what was happening with her. And
there were also times in which it was one of the things she appreciated most about their friendship
because Toph was not one to want to tap into her emotions.

This was not one of those times.

“Katara, I beg of you to cease your questioning and leave me alone.”

“I hope you know that the more you deny it, the more you prove my point.”

Toph turned around and sent her best glare her friend’s way. “You are making assumptions based
on unfounded observations.”

“I am making educated guesses based on what is in front of me. You love Sokka.”

“Alternatively, I would love to kick your ass.”

“Admit you love him and I shall leave you be.”

“I cannot admit what I do not believe,” Toph argued, growing more furious by the second. “I will
not.”

Katara seemed to have given up because more than a minute passed without a word said. Finally,
she crossed over to where Toph was standing and leaned against the wall next to them.

Clearing her throat and breaking the slight tension in the room, Katara had the decency to change
the subject. “Do you have any other secrets you wish to get off of your chest while you can before I
can allow myself to be happy about my child?”

She nibbled on the inside of her cheek, knowing very well that she had plenty of secrets she did not
want to share with Katara to simply avoid the sure sermon she would receive from her. Frankly,
Katara’s likely reaction was fair because they had never kept secrets from each other in the past—
even the worst of the worst kind of information was known between the friends. In a split-second
decision, nevertheless, Toph sat down at the table, turned to Katara, and told her about everything
—the Rumble, the academy, her accidental escapade with Sokka, everything.

For once, it felt good to let it all out, for someone to know everything that was plaguing her. But
the high she was riding lasted for only a few moments as Katara’s reaction was nonexistent. She
was quiet, unmoving, not even her heartbeat betraying her thoughts and emotions.

“Katara?”

She opened her mouth and then closed it, then she opened it again, made a sound—something like
a squeak—then closed it. It took her a few more tries to get something coherent to come out of her
mouth, but she finally said, “I apologize, there is quite a lot to unpack here… but I just cannot seem
to get the thought of you and my brother—I cannot believe that I did not notice before.”

“Did not notice what?”

“That the two of you are fools!” Katara exclaimed, slapping her hands against her thighs in
frustration. “Zuko and Suki are always mentioning how the two of you would make a handsome
couple, but I always said that you and Sokka were merely the best of friends… not to our extent,
but you gather my point.

“I did not bother opening my eyes to the way that you both act around one another, especially
because you were so very resigned to spinsterhood and because, well, I had pestered you enough
about finding a husband in jest that I thought I knew that you would never want to start a life with
anyone, let alone my idiot brother,” she continued, flailing her arms around much like her brother
would when attempting to make a point. “You know, I could always tell how close you two are,
how you seem to know about his endeavors more than myself or my father and Malina, but I never
—I cannot believe this.”

Toph did not even know what to say, so she swallowed convulsively and took Katara’s hands in
hers, desperately endeavoring to change the subject. “Enough about me. You are with child. And
you should be happy that you are. Sparky will be thrilled.”

“Do not think I do not know what you are doing because I do,” Katara warned. Then, she squeezed
Toph’s hand. “But I do hope you are correct. About my husband, I mean.”

Relieved Katara let the Sokka matter cease, Toph shook her head. “I am always correct, and this
will not be any different. He loves you, unfortunately, so there is no doubt that he will be over the
moon about the news.”
So Toph let her friend ramble on and on about her hopes for and fears about the pregnancy.
Admittedly, Toph was much too distracted to truly listen to what Katara was telling her, and she
found herself absently nodding after every other word. Too much was on her mind at that moment,
too much that she did not want to even preoccupy herself with, but could not seem to leave alone.

All this talk about love and whether or not she and Sokka felt it for each other was absurd. Nothing
about the idea was logical because one does not simply go from being close with someone to
falling in love with them in a matter of weeks, especially not someone who had the relationship she
and Sokka had. They were barely in each other’s presence as it was, for crying out loud! He spent
most of his time abroad drowning in his self-pity rather than trying to settle himself down while
she dealt with her own share of issues within society and her family.

It would never turn out well.

Not that she wanted it to, but it would not.

Katara was in the middle of what felt like a disquisition when Toph was snapped back into
attention by the feeling of nearing footsteps. Toph pursed her lips when she realized that it was
Aang who was approaching.

“So that, in reality, is my true fear—” Katara paused and huffed as the door creaked open. “Are
you even listening to me? You are the worst conversationalist in the history of—Aang. What—
Aang? Why are you—” She took a deep breath as she walked over to him. “Please tell me that I am
seeing things and that you are not taking up residence with my sister-in-law.”

The gentleman stood frozen at the door for a few moments until he cleared his throat. “Lovely to
see you here, Katara, Toph. I am—this is—I have come for a visit. With—with Azula. N—Nǚshì
Azula.”

“A visit? You seem far too comfortable in this dwelling for this to be a mere visit, Aang, so please,
do not insult me and tell me what the devil you are doing here.”

In all reality, Toph should not have laughed as much as she did at that very moment, but the tension
and her own present situation called for it. There were tears running down her cheeks as she
clutched her sides, laughing at everything and nothing all at once as Katara and Aang stood
befuddled before her.

When her laughs finally died down, Toph wiped her tears away and cleared her throat, turning to
Aang as she brought her feet up onto the empty chair beside her. “Truly, Twinkle Toes, how long
did you think you were going to keep this ruse up without anyone finding out? I thought you
witless before, but this proves my point further.”

“You knew ?” Katara cried. “I have been running around like a headless possum-chicken in search
of him and you knew where he was all this time? What happened to no more secrets? Have we not
just had this conversation minutes ago?”

“This was not my secret to tell, Sugar Queen, but I am sure glad it is no longer a secret.”

“It is absolutely still a secret because neither of you is saying anything to anyone,” Aang said
firmly, the most firmly Toph had ever heard him speak. Then, he sighed and walked over to
Katara. “Do not be angry with Toph—I made her promise to not speak of it and I appreciate her not
doing so. I simply was not able to afford to say anything because—for fear that—”

“That Zuko might very well kill you?” Katara interjected haughtily. “Wise decision because what
are you thinking? Do you know what this could do to the likes of someone like you? It could ruin
your reputation and your potential of actually finding someone to marry. And Azula! You very
well may have robbed her of any virtue she had left in the eyes of society.”

Aang shook his head and took a seat next to Toph after pushing her feet off it. “I do not care about
any of that. Not anymore, not—not when I’m with her.”

“Oh, Aang,” Katara said softly, taking his hand. “You are serious.”

“I am. I think—I think I love her and I do not know what to do.”

Toph’s head snapped up at that, something about what he said having made the gears in her head
begin to work overtime. Aang was never one to dismiss polite society and its mundane rules and
idiotic expectations; he was always one to follow the norm and do what was expected of him. But
that all changed in the blink of an eye because of a woman he thought he loved?

She was not one to care about society herself, but Toph knew that Aang did and he was willing to
let his reputation fall through the cracks for Azula? Granted, she was well aware that Aang would
have fewer repercussions in terms of his reputation being ruined than Azula would have if she was
still participating in society, but still, it shocked her.

All of this for love.

Something akin to jealousy swirled in Toph’s stomach. How easy it was for Aang to identify or
believe himself in love while she could not help but avoid thinking about the very subject.

For the first time since the silly idea was brought up to her, Toph wondered if she truly loved
Sokka—if she did view him as more than a dear friend or companion.

Before she was able to do much thinking, however, Toph was brought back to the conversation
when she heard Aang call her name.

“Sorry, what?”

“Uh, I was just—I was wondering what the two of you are doing here. It is not like Katara to
wander off on a whim.”

Toph did not know exactly what to say, but luckily, Katara covered for her. “We came here
worried sick that you were in danger. Well, at least I was. Had I known that Toph knew of your
whereabouts or at least suspected of them, I— we might have not arrived here. But yes, this is all
on you, Aang. Pulling Toph away from her very important courtship with Satoru, how could you?”

Aang laughed. “You are jesting, to be sure, because I could tell that Toph could not have cared less
about Satoru. Perhaps she might have enjoyed his company, but she did not do so any more than
yours or my own. She—the two of them will not work, I am sure of it.”

“And what makes you so sure, Fancy Dancer? You were gone for the tail end of our courting
period, anyway.”

“Tail end, is it? Why am I not surprised?”

Toph sent a poisonous glare his way. “Why are you not surprised?”

“I have always believed that you have had your sights—so to speak—set on another,” he replied
quickly, adjusting his coat and making for the door. “But no matter. I assume you will be leaving
come the morning and that you are staying the night? We are having fire noodles and such for
dinner this evening and I should like to be caught up on all the ton gossip I have missed.”

Before either of the ladies could respond, Aang had managed to leave the room and shut the door
behind him.

Katara turned to Toph and smugly said, “He makes a great argument.”

It was then that Toph began to wonder what the women’s equivalent of an affair of honor was.

Notwithstanding Toph’s objections and wishes, Katara managed to pack her up and convince her to
return to Gaoling. She told her that it was wrong of her to have just left without any notice and that
she owed it to herself and to Sokka to work things out between them, whatever that meant.

“Fleeing is not going to make things go away,” she had said as she stuffed Toph’s belonging’s into
her rucksack. “You are getting married to him whether you like it or not. The least you could do is
talk.”

There were so many things she hoped to avoid—marriage to Sokka, first and foremost—but she
figured that she should settle things down as her parents were likely to start a search party if she did
not return home soon, anyhow. She also missed Fen despite it having been a few days. That was it.
She had responsibilities and she could not simply leave them undone.

Unfortunately, she was still a woman of society and she still had a reputation to uphold. If not for
herself, then for her family. And if marrying Sokka would sustain it, she had to do it.

No matter how much she wished to avoid it.

Katara was quite happy to see that Toph made what she thought was the right decision. Toph, not
so much.

That evening at dinner with Aang and Azula, Katara had told him about the wedding that was
likely to take place soon between two of their dearest friends, he did not seem the slightest bit
surprised. Toph would have been perplexed by his reaction, but she had previously heard him state
that he expected her and Sokka to end up together, something she did not yet comprehend.

Along with Katara spending the majority of dinner interrogating Aang about his correspondence
with Azula, the latter ended up turning the tables on Toph. With this came Aang smugly asking her
how it all came about. Toph ended up letting out a string of insults, expletives, and threats, so
much so that Katara had to tell her to calm down and that Azula simply could not stop laughing.

He ended up congratulating her and quieting down, knowing only that there was a wedding to
attend and not one other detail.

And despite Katara’s attempts to convince Aang to return with them, he politely declined and
promised that they would see him again within the next days for Toph’s impending nuptials.

“I expect my invitation to the wedding soon, Toph,” Azula had told Toph between chuckles before
she and Katara left. “I am looking forward to the ceremony.”

For Toph, it was safe to say that she shot a very inappropriate hand gesture at her hostess.

The best friends’ journey began the morning after dinner. It took longer than planned to travel from
Whale Tail Island back to the mainland. A trip that was meant to take between eight and ten hours
ended up taking about fifteen hours, instead.

To start, the ship’s boarding was delayed for a few hours since they needed to wait on the ships at
the harbor to undergo safety inspections due to the intolerable heat.

From there, they embarked on the most uncomfortable boat voyage of their lives when they were
finally allowed to board the ship hours after they made it to the port on Sunday morning. The
ocean was terribly turbulent, and the wind was warm, making Toph feel sicker than she would
have been on a typical boat ride. They arrived in Chin Village for a short layover late that evening.

From there, they traveled from the port in Chin to Gaoling by ship and went straight from
overheating on the boat to absolutely melting in the back of a post-chaise hours later. Not only was
the ride uncomfortable but Toph was also still motion sick from the boat ride and was dry heaving
with her head between her knees for a few minutes at the aid of Katara’s backrubs.

By the time they made it to Gaoling on Monday morning—an entire day after they had intended to
arrive—Toph’s throat felt raw from being sick and she was beginning to regret making the trip
back for multiple reasons. The first of those reasons was that Katara would not stop trying to
attempt to get more information about Aang and Azula and her and Sokka out of her throughout
most of the journey; the second was that she had spent more than twenty-four hours vomiting or
being close to doing so; the third was that she was not very willing to confront what was waiting
for her at home.

Two days of running and one of horrible travel had certainly not been enough time for her to have
been away. And to think, she had initially intended to never come back.

Still, Toph, though reluctant, bade Katara adieu after sharing a tight hug and making a promise to
call on each other soon, then made her way to the Beifong estate.

As she walked out in the sweltering heat of the morning, she had to admit that the whole weekend
had been nothing but a long, dramatic few days for no reason. Had she stayed put and not acted as
though she was just out of leading-strings, things would have been much simpler. But alas, she did
run, and things were the same as when she left.

She and her damned theatrics.

The walk to her home was the same as always—long and boring—except for the lingering looks
she got from those on the street around her. Word of the betrothal must have made its rounds.

How wonderful.

“What are you people looking at?” Toph shouted at a group of passersby, who scattered as soon as
she snapped at them.

Having arrived at Beifong House after successfully avoiding hypocritical words of congratulations
from people, Toph stood in front of the entryway for Spirits knew how long, trying to find the
courage within her to move and unlock the door, but she could not. She knew that what awaited on
the other side of it was chaos from her parents questioning her in regard to her whereabouts. Such a
long voyage and she had not put together what she would tell her mother and father.

Despite herself, she took a breath and pushed the door open. To her surprise, however, she found
no one inside the residence save for the house staff.

Bingwen was the first to approach her, his heartbeat betraying his worry before he even opened his
mouth.
“Nǚshì Toph,” he breathed out and bowed in her direction, immediately collecting her bag from
her. “What a relief it is to see you well.”

“I hear that I am a sight for sore eyes, after all.”

Bingwen cleared his throat at her joke, but she could tell that his lips twitched before saying, “Your
parents will be relieved as well.”

She knitted her brows together, walking further into her house, not wanting to continue the
conversation in the foyer. “Where are my parents?”

“They are… out running an errand, and I do not think you would like to hear what they have done
in relation to such errand, ma’am.”

“Out with it, Bingwen,” Toph demanded, throwing herself onto the settee in the downstairs
drawing room. “What have my progenitors done now?”

“They have been in contact with the Bow Street Runners in order to, in their words, get you home
safely. They made the decision to correspond with them this morning and visit their headquarters,
which is why they are currently not in-house. Nǚshì Fen did her best to steer them away from
doing so because she knew that you would have hated to find out that they did such a thing, but
they did not listen. I believe they are in pursuit of getting your portrait hung up in every corner of
the Earth Kingdom.”

Toph sat up, more concerned about Fen than the prospect of her face being plastered all over town.
She owed her maid an apology for the way she acted. “Speaking of Fen… is she nearby?”

Bingwen nodded. “She should be in the servants’ quarters. Not having you around for the past
three days has driven us all to see less of her. Should you like me to ring for her?”

With a shake of her head and a quick expression of appreciation, Toph stood up and took off to the
servants' quarters downstairs. She ignored how a lot of the maids began gasping at the sight of one
of the mistresses of the household being down there as she pushed past them and directed herself to
Fen’s chambers. When she arrived, she did not even knock before barging in.

“Nǚshì Toph—”

“Traveling is not my forté.”

The lady’s maid stood up and pulled her into a tight hug and Toph thought about the hissy fit her
mother would throw if she had been there to witness it, but at that moment, she did not care. Her
eyes burned with tears as she embraced her maid, her friend, in a way that she knew was letting her
know how absolutely apologetic she was.

After a while, they pulled away and sat on Fen’s bed. Taking Toph’s hands in hers, Fen tearfully
said, “Three days is what you lasted away from me and my loving arms. I have to say that I am
outright flattered.”

“You have Katara to thank. The woman all but dragged me back here.”

“Lucky you,” she replied. “Your parents are going to smother you when they arrive, I hope you
know, and you deserve as much if you ask me.”

“I know I made some mistakes, but I do not deserve to have the feral catgators unleashed upon me
just yet.”
 The two of them shared a laugh and Fen asked her what her plan was and how she was able to
assist. Though, she did mention that it would be a difficult feat to avoid any wedding planning as
Lao had managed to get the special license drawn for a post-haste wedding. Fen guessed that it was
to take place sometime in the next two weeks from what she had heard.

Toph threw herself back against the bed and dug the heels of her palms into her eyes. “What the
devil am I supposed to do?”

“Sounds to me as though you must marry him or run away again, and I am not very fond of the
latter option.”

“And I am not fond of the former, so it seems as though we are in a bit of a pickle.”

Fen sighed and laid her head next to Toph’s. “We do not have to be if you just admitted what you
do not want to.”

Toph shut her eyes in misery. She did not want things to happen this way. In fact, she did not want
them to happen at all, but of course, luck was not on her side in this situation. “I rather assumed I
would never marry, Fen, because I pictured myself living the rest of my life as a spinster, discreetly
running my academy, and having nothing to worry about, no one to tend to but myself. But
temptation just had to get in the way, did it not? Temptation and scandal and curiosity all led me
here—to despair and torment.”

“That is a bit theatrical, do you not think?”

“Not at all.”

“Toph—we are talking about Xiansheng Sokka here. He is the nicest gentleman I have ever met
and he does care for you, and in my opinion, loves you. He will not limit you, he will not cause you
misery or distress. Of that I am certain, but I cannot convince you of this. You must believe it
yourself. There is no one better than him to be trapped in a marriage with.”

Refusing to focus on the one—very false—claim her lady’s maid had uttered about Sokka, Toph
deadpanned. “No one asked you, Fen. And to think, I returned to Gaoling for you.”

“I was one of your justifications for returning. A big difference. I believe that, more than anything,
you came back to prove to yourself that you are not in love with a man that you very clearly are in
love with,” Fen said as she stood up and straightened her skirts. She opened the door immediately
after. “I am going to ring for a snack. I am sure that you are famished after traveling by sea and I
should think you would want some food in you before Master and Mistress Beifong arrive. I shall
wait for you in the drawing room.”

Toph remained silent as Fen slipped away in pursuit of food, and despite her not being in much of a
mood to handle her parents and needing to sort out what she would tell them, the only thing she
was able to think about was how she did not want to want Sokka.

Chapter End Notes

i remember writing this and hurting because of the utter lack of sokka in this chapter,
but it's fine, we're fine
i also want to take this opportunity to say that i plan on writing several one-shots from
sokka's perspective of the fic—certainly, it won't be the entirety of the fic that I'll be
recounting from his pov, but the pivotal parts of it. I'll also write a bunch of other ones
relating to the side ships and to many other things hehe

but okay, yes. that is all. i hope yall enjoyed this <3
 Chapter 14
Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

Two minutes.

Toph was sitting down for two minutes before her parents burst into their household, muttering
about the Bow Street Runners doing nothing to aid them. It took them a few more seconds to enter
the drawing room and set their eyes on their daughter, who had been blissfully enjoying a pork bun
until that very moment.

While it was completely understandable that her parents were worried about her, she did not very
well comprehend the way her mother suddenly burst into tears at the sight of her.

“Oh, my— Toph, dearest. My daughter,” Poppy cried, throwing herself on top of the youngest
Beifong and weeping into her neck. “You have no clue how worried we have been about you.”

Toph brought a hand up and awkwardly patted her mother’s back. “No need to worry further, I
suppose.”

Lao remained standing by the entryway, his arms crossed over his chest. “It was incredibly careless
of you to leave this household unchaperoned, risking your welfare as well as the perception of your
virtue. Have you any idea—”

“My goodness, Lao, would you quiet down? Toph has spent most of her life dreading marriage,
and once she was presented with a proposal, she must have felt overwhelmed and needed a moment
to take it all in. I am sure that she was simply spending time with Fire Lady Katara. Honestly, I do
not know why we did not check with her first. We would have known where Toph was from the
moment she took her leave had we done so.”

To say Toph was surprised at the way her mother defended her from her father was a vast
understatement. Never had she heard her mother speak to her father in such a manner, much less
when it came to Toph. Poppy was always endeavoring to make Toph be someone she was not and
constantly making her believe that she was a disappointment to both her and her father. Not only
that but she was always submissive to Lao, always needing to agree with him no matter how
incorrect he was in regard to something.

It was the first time she felt true love from her mother as foolish as that sounded; the first time she
had felt seen by her.

If she was being completely earnest, however, Toph believed that this behavior came from the fact
that Toph was to be wedded in a matter of days.

Still, Toph simply nodded in agreement with her mother and went with her assumption. “Yes,
Mother. I am well aware that I should have notified someone of my abrupt departure, but I simply
—I needed time to collect my thoughts. I apologize for any feathers ruffled.”

Her father simply grumbled an incoherent reply and walked off to his study, locking himself in
there as he always did. And Poppy took a seat beside Toph, taking her hands.

“We are going straight to the modiste this afternoon, so please get ready as soon as you are able,”
she instructed, pointing a finger at her. “We need to get your fabrics for your dress and your
trousseau since we’re merely days away from the big day.”

Toph deadpanned. “I am sure that I do not need more nightgowns, Mother. I own enough.”

“Nonsense, Toph. We will get you everything you need for your big day—and night. This is so
very exciting!”

“Indeed. I am… so very overjoyed.”

“You may invite your lady friends as well,” Poppy added as she left the room. “A second opinion
never goes ignored, dearest.”

As soon as she was left alone with Fen, Toph threw her head against the table in front of her and
groaned loudly. The very last thing she wanted was to have to stand and undergo not one, not two,
but several separate fittings for different garments for several hours. She hated having to spend
time in the modiste as it was, so she could not stand the thought of having to endure hours upon
hours of pretending to examine fabrics and being accidentally stuck with needles.

Fen walked up to her, a notable smile in her tone. “Shall I pen a message to Lady Katara and Nǚshì
Suki? I should think you would need all the emotional aid you are able to garner, ma’am.”

“You may laugh. I know you wish to.”

“Who do you take me for? I would never laugh at your misfortunes.”

Toph lifted her head up off the table dismally. “I do not even have to set my feet on the ground to
know that you are fibbing.”

This time, Fen did laugh, walking over to the next room to write down a message to be sent to
Katara and Suki. She handed it over to one of the footmen and returned to the drawing room to
prepare a drink for Toph. She slid it to her and said, “You are going to need it.”

Never had Toph experienced her mother moving as swiftly as she had that afternoon. Poppy always
tended to walk with grace and pause, which was expected from women of her status. But she all but
dragged Toph by her arm to the modiste’s business some blocks away from the Beifong estate, she
was so eager.

Toph, on the other hand, was dreading the errand in the first place, considering how she was going
to have to act agreeable in front of those who happened to be present at the shop as she was fitted
for her dress. Not only that but Suki was unaware of the truth behind what had transpired, so that
was yet another person she held dear who she was deceiving.

Upon arrival, Toph was happy to find that there was no one but familiar people there; however,
along with Suki, Katara, and the modiste were Lady Malina and Zuko.

Fuck it all.

“Nǚshì Toph, Lady Beifong, ” Zuko spoke first as she and her mother walked into the shop. “How
do you do?”

“Grand, but also wonderfully confused about your presence here, my lord,” Toph said haughtily.

As Suki and Katara snickered, Poppy nudged Toph’s arm scoldingly. “Mind your manners,
dearest.”
Laughingly, Zuko replied, “No matter. I shall be taking my leave now and will allow you ladies to
fulfill your duties. I simply wanted to congratulate the, um, bride-to-be on her upcoming nuptials.”

Poppy grinned and spoke for her daughter as Toph cringed at his words. He was smirking, the
dunderhead. She promised herself that she would kill him later.

Her mother said, “Oh, many thanks, my lord. It is truly no surprise that your brother-in-law was
the one to win over my Toph’s affections.”

Zuko nodded, pressed a kiss to his wife’s knuckles, and bowed in the direction of the rest of the
women. “Expect a call from me this week as I have not seen much of you as of late, Nǚshì Toph. I
am more than looking forward to it.”

The chimes above the door of the shop sounded out as Zuko left the ladies alone. When he did, the
first person to approach Toph was Lady Malina. Toph learned that Poppy had invited her because
the mother of the groom should also have a say in the fabrics of the wedding cheongsam.

Toph was unable to push down the apprehension she felt as Sokka’s stepmother walked up to her.

“I am so very glad that my son has come to his senses,” Malina told her as she gave her arm an
affectionate squeeze. The viscountess pulled a handkerchief out from her reticule and dabbed at her
eyes. “Do not tell Sokka, but Hakoda and I have been waiting for this love match for years, so to
see it come to fruition… well, I cannot begin to properly express my elation.”

Toph could only nod and attempt a smile at Malina’s words. A love match, she said. That could
not have been farther from the truth—this wedding was nothing but a sham.

Abruptly, as she was drowning in her pitiful thoughts, Toph felt herself be pulled in toward the
back of the shop where the ceremonial fabrics were on display.

She pulled her arm out of Suki’s grip. “What do you think you are doing?”

“Me? What do you think you are doing? Not telling the greatest supporter of your relationship with
Sokka about your betrothal until moments ago via a letter? Incredible. Not only that but finding out
via the gossip column instead of you! Do you know the betrayal I am needing to overcome?”

Toph could note the jesting tone in Suki’s voice and she could not help but allow her lips to twitch,
despite her words. “You sound like Katara.”

“That was the intention,” Suki admitted with a stage whisper. “Should you think I was
convincing?”

Katara stopped examining fabrics and exclaimed, “Hey!”

“What? You know very well that I sounded exactly like you.” She turned to Toph again. “You
must tell me how this all came about! Did he absolutely ravish you? He ravished you, did he not?
Oh my. How scandalous.”

“Suki, leave her be,” Katara scolded, giving Suki a gentle shove on the shoulder. “You will
probably send her running for Ba Sing Se soon.”

“She would never. She hates Ba Sing Se, and loves him even more so.”

Toph coughed into her fist and turned to touch some of the fabrics before her. “ So true.”
“See? I have told you so,” Suki gloated and flung her arms over Toph and Katara’s shoulders. “I
have been wagering upon your union forever. This year, however, I laid money and items on you
and Sokka being betrothed by the end of this season. Zuko now owes me his antique katanas.”

Katara recoiled a bit, gaping. “You wagered upon it and did not think to include me?”

“Please. Had we even approached you, you would have told us that it was a waste of time, not to
mention how absolutely rude you found it.”

Suki was met with silence for a few seconds before Katara said, “You have a point, but it truly
would have been rude!”

Toph had to laugh, shaking her head at her friends as they argued in jest. She had to admit that she
felt a bit better in their company.

“Now,” Suki said after giving Katara a playful shove to the side. “I would love nothing more than
to see Ty Lee’s reaction to your betrothal. She will never forgive you for taking her man off of the
market nor for taking his last name.”

At that, Toph made a face. “I am not taking Sokka’s last name. I quite like my last name. I care not
for what society expects.”

“Ah, yes. How silly of me to even assume you would.”

The three women laughed, and before they could return to their previous conversation on the topic
of Sokka, Poppy and Malina called Toph over for a fitting, much to both her relief and dismay.

More to her dismay seeing as how time felt as though it was not ticking at all.

It took nearly three hours for them to settle on the fabrics for her trousseau. As for her dress, they
had ultimately decided on a mix of lace, muslin, and silk, and Toph had to admit that it felt lovely
despite her reservations. The way all the women present—including the modiste—gushed made
her want to hop off the platform she stood upon and run off like a wolfbat out of hell, but she
supposed that the quicker things were done, the quicker she would be free from wedding errands.

Errands for a wedding she did not even want in the first place.

That afternoon was the happiest Toph had ever seen her mother. She had even spoken more than
two sentences to both Katara and Suki, which was more than she ever had directed at them since
they had met.

Before Poppy and Toph left, Malina asked Toph to join her in the evening at her home for tea. She
had tried to decline, but the viscountess insisted, clutching her hands as if they were a lifeline in
order to confirm her earnestness to Toph. There was no way out of it, especially with her mother
accepting the invitation on her behalf, so she was now roped into tea time with her soon-to-be
mother-in-law.

Just what she needed…

Toph rushed into her household and shut the door, leaning against it and groaning loudly. If she
heard another round of congratulatory statements from people within the next decade, she was
going to punch someone, no matter how unwomanly that seemed. She did not care.

She was over it.

It was lucky her mother was out with Malina making plans for the engagement ball they planned to
throw in two days for Toph and Sokka or she would have been scolded for her behavior.

So very lucky.

Dramatically, she slid down the door and put her face in her hands. All of this was happening
because of her stupid curiosity and her stupid feminine need and her inability to say no to Sokka
and his kisses and caresses and all of it. If only she had kept herself untouched and told him to take
his hands and shove them up his—

“Did you not say that you do not run away from your problems some days ago? Look at you now.”

His voice brought goosebumps to her skin. It was the first time they had been in the same room
since the night of their betrothal. She shut her eyes unhappily, not having realized that Sokka was
in her house, and angled her face toward him. “Do not mock me.”

“I am not. I am simply making an observation and reminding you of your previous words.”

Helplessly, she lifted her chin to appear high in the instep. “I do not recall saying that.”

“How convenient.”

“Ma’am,” Bingwen called as he speed-walked over to the foyer. “Your betrothed has called on the
household.”

She cringed at the words your betrothed, but nevertheless stood up, directing herself toward the
drawing room with Sokka following suit. “Thank you, Bingwen, for that very delayed
communication.”

“Apologies, Nǚshì Toph. He heard the door shut and ran over before I was able to find you
myself.”

“Of course he did,” Toph murmured. She tossed herself onto the settee, lifting her feet onto the
coffee table before her, and asked her footman, “Are you able to ring for something to eat? I surely
will be needing it if I am to hold up a conversation with this halfwit.”

“Yes, ma’am. Allow me some moments.” And he walked off the kitchen, leaving Toph alone with
Sokka.

Unchaperoned.

Toph had to try hard to resist thinking about how the last few times they were left alone ended as
she balled her skirts into her fist to keep from doing anything she might ultimately regret.

The way her hands clutched her dress made her think of the way Sokka did the same before pulling
down her bodice.

She very well stopped breathing for a moment at the memory.

The silence between them was thick, and she expected him to be the first to break it. He had been
the one to call on her after all, so it was not that wild of an assumption. Still, she waited a few more
minutes for him to say something as he stood in front of her, looking at her. Before she could stop
herself, however, she said, “I hope you are not here to kiss me again.”

“Superb because I have no such desire to.”

“Good.”

“Great.”

“Wonderful,” she said pointedly, picking something out of her nails as Bingwen returned with a
platter full of finger foods. He bowed and left immediately after. Toph grabbed a biscuit and bit
into it. “Then why have you called this afternoon? I should think that it is unnecessary for you to
have any such desire to see me now that you have roped me into a lifelong union. You shall be
getting quite enough of me to last a long time.”

Immediately after the words came out of her mouth, she wished to take them back. And his
reaction did not much help matters either as he deflated and cleared his throat, surprisingly not even
acknowledging the food at his side.

Sokka hesitantly walked up to her and sat at the very edge of the settee as far away from her as
possible. “I never intended—you need to know that I never wished for you to be caught up in my,
uh, my desires, Toph. I was not thinking—”

“Neither of us was.”

“Right,” he said quietly. “But I am sorry. Among other things, that is what I came here to say. And
to promise you that nothing, absolutely nothing, will change during our marriage. No last-name-
taking nor, um, canoodling. You may—you may still accost me and I may accost you and we may
still speak in jest… I also wish for nothing more than for you to remain independent. We—we shall
be married in only name if it is what you wish.”

“It is what I wish.”

“Is it?”

She wanted to be irritated at him for questioning her, but she could not help but wonder whether it
truly was what she wanted. She had thoroughly enjoyed herself that evening with Sokka up until
they were forced to marry and she took off to Whale Tale Island in a huff. And… at this point, they
had nothing to lose. They could very well do what they did and possibly more whenever they so
desired now that they were to be bonded for life—even if it meant nothing to either of them.

Regardless of her thoughts and momentary silence, Toph sniffed and said, “It is.”

“Very well,” Sokka cleared his throat and stood up, wiping his hands off of his trousers. “I am to
visit the temple where our, uh, wedding will take place with your father soon, which is the other
reason I have come here this afternoon… Do wish me luck.”

Despite her slight discomfort, she had to snort, breaking through the veil of perturbation between
them. “You will need it if you are to spend an extended period of time with my father.”

He breathed out a laugh sitting back down on the settee, closer to her this time as pulled something
out of the left side pocket of his breeches, the sound of liquid sloshing filling her ears. “Something
I anticipated. I both invited Zuko to meet us there and managed to find my trusty hip flask for
support.”

“Wise decision, Snoozles.”

“So, uh,” Sokka started, sliding his flask back into his pocket, “are you ever going to tell me where
you were these past few days, Toph?”
She pretended to think on that for a few moments as she nibbled on a hand sandwich. “Mm, nope.”

“Hm. And… What have you been occupied with as of late?”

“I was getting fitted for my dress and trousseau,” Toph said, happy that he changed the topic of
conversation without resistance. He was still attempting to get her to talk, but what she had done
that day was not incriminating. It was not as if she was telling him that she had left in order to run
away from him. “It was a most pleasant experience as you can likely imagine.”

“Of course. I know how much you adore being poked and prodded like a pin cushion.”

Toph rolled her eyes and gave him a friendly shove. She knew that he was referring to the one time
he had accompanied her and Katara to the modiste to fetch an order of dresses. The modiste had
approached Toph and told her that she wanted to confirm some bust measurements and Toph
reluctantly agreed to it. Much to her chagrin, Sokka and Katara experienced her muttering horrible
expletives as the modiste used pins to take in the fabric and pricked her with them numerous times.

By the time the modiste was through, Sokka was practically on the floor, he was laughing so
much. And as much as Toph wanted to send him to hell for it, she could not help but join him. He
spent the rest of the week making fun of her behavior, despite the number of punches to the chest
he received for it.

“I wish to treat you like a damned pin cushion.”

They shared a laugh at that, and for a moment, it felt like nothing had occurred between them, as if
nothing had been amiss. But once they quieted, the cloud of discomfort that loomed earlier
returned. For as long as she knew Sokka, they had never been so discomfiting around one another,
and the fact that they were now bothered her to no end. She wanted normalcy, she wanted her
friend back more than anything, but she feared that this was never going to happen. Things have
changed and it was already much too late to reverse.

Toph did not ask to be plagued by the feelings she suddenly had for him; the constant aching in her
chest at the thought of him or the longing she felt on the rare occasion he was not inhabiting her
thoughts; the way that he now lived in her mind, he and his kissing and teasing and biting.

And then, he held her hand, igniting exactly that which she had been attempting to forget about for
the past few days. “Toph.”

“Yes?”

“I lied earlier. I did come here for a reason other than my commitment to your father and my
apology to you.”

“Oh?”

Without dropping her hand, he pulled something out of his changshan. “This is for you.”

He placed the item in her palm. It was a ribbon with carved stone attached. As she felt it, she was
unable to place exactly what it was. “What—”

“I know that it is Earth Kingdom tradition to offer a ring when asking for your hand, but this is a
betrothal necklace… I did not feel right not carving one for you, despite everything, but I hope it is
to your liking,” he said quietly in response.

Toph could not resist letting her mouth fall open. The very last thing she expected was for Sokka to
bring a betrothal necklace to her. She knew that it was customary for the grooms of the Southern
Water Tribe to fashion a necklace and give it to their intended instead of presenting them with a
betrothal ring as they did in the Earth Kingdom. But she did not fathom that he would do so for her,
especially considering the circumstances of their engagement.

Her thumb ran over the stone, trying to make out what the indentations were. Her breath caught
when she was able to identify the Earth Kingdom symbol on one side of the stone, and the Water
Tribes symbol on the other.

“The, uh, ribbon is green,” Sokka explained. “Not that—not that you care necessarily, but it—it is
the color you most predominantly wear, and it—it matches your eyes.”

“It—it is lovely. I should like it very much. Thank you.”

He let out a shaky sigh. “May I put it on?”

For the love of the Spirits, she knew that she had to say no, but she found herself nodding before
her brain was informed of her desires. Toph shifted where she sat, giving Sokka her back, after
handing the necklace back to him. The entire time she waited for him to put on the necklace, she
was tense, but as soon as his fingers and knuckles grazed her neck, all of the tension melted away.

He took his time clasping it, his fingers brushing against her neck and his breath lingering on her
skin. The intimacy of the moment entirely almost made her want to twist around and press her lips
to his shamelessly, but she knew that she could not. It would complicate things further, on one
hand, and she should not want it at all, to begin with.

Toph brought her index and middle fingers up to the necklace, feeling the stone lay against the
center of her clavicle and she took a shaky breath. She was not much a fan of jewelry, but this
necklace along with her bracelet were pieces she did not mind donning.

Both of which, she noted, were gifts from him.

“It fits perfectly,” he commented as she turned around to face him again. “It suits you.”

She cleared her throat and set a steadying hand atop the settee cushion. “I sure hope it does,
considering I am to wear it at least until the day of our wedding.”

Sokka let out a low, breathy laugh at that, then covered her hand with his again. Such an action
should not feel so electric, or so intimate, even. What was wrong with her?

Just as Sokka was opening his mouth to speak again, his heartbeat even more erratic if at all
possible, her father walked into the drawing room, angrily scolding, “I believe I told you that I do
not want the two of you alone until you have married.”

“I do not recall you saying as much, Father, and I tend to recall everything that is told to me unless
it is of no value to me,” Toph said immediately, clearing her throat and pulling her hand out from
under Sokka’s. And just to aggravate Lao further, she added, “I should think that if you did not
want me to spend more time with my husband-to-be, I would have recollected as much.”

Lao sputtered for a moment, a truly rare occurrence. “I care not if I told you before. I am telling
you now that I do not want the two of you alone until you are—”

“Wedded. Yes, yes. I have heard you. I am blind, not deaf.”

Sokka coughed, surely to cover his laugh if Toph knew him at all, and stood up before Lao could
respond. “Apologies, my lord.”

“Enough of this, then. We must get going if we are to meet the archbishop before the evening
service. We have wasted enough time as it is.”

“Yes, my lord,” Sokka nodded at Lao. He then turned to Toph and bowed his head in her direction
before taking her hand and pressing a kiss there. “Toph.”

“Sokka.”

There were goosebumps all over her skin from the slight contact and she held the hand he kissed
tightly, warmth radiating through to the rest of her body from her knuckles. She tried hard to keep
her composure as she set her feet to the ground and focused on his receding footsteps until she was
no longer able to feel them.

Not even moments later, Fen ducked into the room and leaned against the door frame. “And you
claim that you do not love him.”

“Fen—”

“It is true and you know it,” she said, then walked over to her. “On a different note, I have heard
that you are to meet with Lady Malina for tea.”

Not really looking forward to meeting with Malina and having to fudge her way through the
conversation, Toph sighed, following Fen up to her bedchamber in order to freshen up. If Malina
asked her about how things came to be between her and Sokka, she would truly be bereft of speech.

With a yawn as she got her hair fixed again, Toph told Fen, “I am going to need you to have my
foot bath ready with my new salve when I come back. Along with a gallon of sake.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“And perhaps pen a letter to Penga and Ho-Tun,” Toph added suddenly. She needed some time
away from her life, and what better way to do that than to get her metalbending students together?
“I believe that an impromptu lesson is past due.”

Toph had first met Malina a few months after meeting Katara. She could not have been more than
thirteen or fourteen at the time. The Beifong household had received a message from the
viscountess, inviting the girl that had made her daughter’s acquaintance and her mother for some
tea, and of course, Poppy quickly sent their affirmative reply. Her mother had been so excited
about the invitation that she asked Toph how she managed to meet a viscountess’ daughter.

The way the best friends met was quite a funny story. Toph had just finished her piano-forte
lessons for the day and she decided that she was going to sneak outside the residence for some air
as she usually did. Her parents seldom allowed her to go outside because she ran the risk of getting
hurt, but Toph cared not. She needed some air away from the stuffiness inside her household from
time to time.

That afternoon, once she stepped foot onto the grass in the garden of the massive estate, she
noticed that there was someone else there. She had not been accompanied by anyone and she had
not expected anyone, so she got into a horse stance and shouted, “Who are you and what do you
want?”

“Oh!” exclaimed a quiet voice to the right of her. “I was just, um, I was admiring the pond. I
managed to wander in here, I suppose, and I do not know how I got here in the first place, honestly.
I did not mean to intrude.”

Toph reluctantly broke her stance and took a few steps toward the girl. She was taller than Toph
was and she sounded older, too. “You still have not told me who you are.”

“Pardon me. My name is Katara Naitok. I am the daughter of Viscount Hakoda of the Southern
Water Tribe.”

Her eyebrows flew up at that. “Southern Water Tribe? You seem to be a long way from home,
then. Here for the season?”

Katara nodded, relaxing her previously tense shoulders, likely from having been threatened by
Toph’s defensive posture moments ago. “Yes, my parents are, anyhow. We own a home here…
And yourself? Is this your home?”

“It is, yes.”

“It is quite beautiful. What is your name?”

“Toph. Toph Beifong.”

“Very well, Toph Beifong,” Katara walked over to her and stretched her hand toward her, “it is
wonderful to make your acquaintance.”

From that morning on, the two girls were inseparable. They met at Beifong House almost daily and
no one would question Katara’s presence there while the friends spoke about current events, the
mundane aspects of society, and their woes.

When her mother asked about their comradeship after Katara’s stepmother had sent the tea
invitation, Toph just shrugged and told her she could not remember. Had she told her the truth,
Poppy might have taken issue with the fact that Katara had essentially trespassed into their home.

Nevertheless, once the Beifong ladies made it to the viscountess’ home for the first time all those
years ago, Toph felt a bit nervous to be there. While she had obviously met many people because
of her parents’ status, she had never cared about any of them. She did, however, care a great deal
about Katara, and therefore, wished to make a good impression on her guardian. Luckily, Malina
introduced herself warmly and told the then-thirteen-year-old that she was welcome in her
household any time, and Toph had taken that quite literally.

Presently, as Toph raised her hand to knock on the door of the Naitok household, she found herself
feeling more unnerved than she had the first time she showed up at Naitok House. Something was
telling her that Malina would see right through her, see that she and Sokka were not marrying
because they were choosing to, but because he had been careless with his honor and she with her
virtue.

“Nǚshì Toph,” said the footman, breaking her out of her thoughts, “the viscountess is expecting
you.”

She simply nodded and followed him to the parlor next to the dining room where Lady Malina was
sitting in wait, and immediately stood up to greet her. “Toph, my dear! I am so happy you came.”

“Likewise, my lady. I am terribly sorry for my delay; wedding chores have tired me out.”

“No apologies necessary. And please, call me by my name, love. I have told you as much for years
 and we are to be family soon after all.”

Toph only managed a smile and a meek nod as she took a seat by the small, round table before her.
She could already smell the jasmine tea in the pot and various pastries, all making her mouth
water. Not even waiting to be offered a plate, she took one and piled it up, immediately shoving
half of a plain, warm bun into her mouth. Somehow, she felt as though it helped alleviate her stress.
Food always did.

For a few moments, they partook in some small talk about the wedding preparations, but after
Toph had managed to eat all of the food off her plate twice, Malina grabbed hold of her hands.

She took a shuddering breath and Toph could already tell that she was on the very brink of tears
before she even opened her mouth. “I know that I have already told you about how much I have
been wanting you and Sokka to come together, but I am not quite sure that you know the reason
behind that.”

It was true, Toph did not know, so she remained quiet and listened to what Malina had to say just
out of sheer curiosity.

“From the moment we saw the two of you interact, we knew that you would make the perfect
match, it was just a matter of the both of you realizing as much,” she chuckled tearfully. “I had
never seen Sokka so comfortable around anyone until he met you. In fact, the day you two met, the
day he was knocked off the horse, he just would not stop talking about Katara’s friend with whom
he had just made acquaintance. After then, you grew so close with one another that it brought me
so much joy.

“It was even better when Hakoda himself came to me looking downright distressed, telling me that
he was sure that Sokka had compromised you with the way he caught him looking at you once one
or two years heretofore.” Malina laughed, presumably at the look of petrification Toph was
wearing. “That was when I knew that I was not demented as to think that you and Sokka were
meant to be with one another.

“He courted many young ladies, as I am sure you know, and has likely been with plenty of others
because of his travels, but he had never spoken of anyone with the… the fondness he speaks about
you with.

“Along with that, he always said you are his dearest friend, and I know that you reciprocate that…
All of this to say what I have always done—when seeking to marry, you should always, always
marry the person who feels like your dearest friend. And I am so very glad that you have found
that, Toph, and with my stepson, no less. So glad.”

Toph was speechless, to say the least. There were tears in her eyes and she suddenly felt as though
she was unable to breathe properly. She was overwhelmed and she needed a moment or several to
compose herself before she swooned in earnest. “Thank—I appreciate your—your most kind
words, Malina, but, uh, I have forgotten that I must—I must meet my mama for supper soon.”

“Oh, of course,” Malina replied, giving her hands one last squeeze before letting her go. She gave
her a quick hug, told her she would see her soon and allowed Toph to take her leave.

Toph walked out of the residence as fast as she could, and it was not until then that she let the tears
she had been holding back fall with no signs of stopping.

Chapter End Notes

the! drawing! room ! scene! i loved writing it and my gosh. made myself want to kick
lao's ass for interrupting them

but anyway, the wedding date is looming, and so is the betrothal ball, and we all know
that all balls bring with them is scandal... :)

till next Saturday!

 Chapter 15
Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

Gaoling in its entirety was buzzing about Toph and Sokka’s engagement ball, which was to take
place that very evening.

Invitations had been sent out only the day before the event and more than half of the invitees had
confirmed their attendance before the day was over. For the life of her, Toph could not comprehend
why so many people were so interested in a betrothal ball for people they barely knew. The mamas
had also managed to send out the wedding invitations along with those of the reception to which
half of the ton had responded affirmatively as well.

At the same time, Toph was finding it hard to understand how her mother and Malina believed that
the totality of the town had to be involved in the nuptials in some way. This sham of a wedding
could have been celebrated privately rather than in the eyes of quite literally everyone under the
sun.

“I suppose that is the price that comes from being a popular family in this society,” Fen had told
Toph when she complained about it.

Not only that, but the wedding was due to take place less than two days after the ball, which had
put Poppy in an absolute frenzy.

She was running around Beifong House maniacally as she tested cakes and looked at floral
arrangements and listened to instrumentalists’ renditions of classic wedding processional music,
hating every single thing about all of it. No matter how many times Poppy would finally settle on
one of those issues, she would demand something to be changed because it all needed to be perfect.

Toph, of course, could not have cared less, and consequently, did not have an opinion on the
matter. It was not as though her mother was going to listen to what she said even if she had a
genuine take to offer.

And even if she had wanted to contribute, she would not have been able to. She had too much on
her mind.

The fact that she was going to be the wife of her dear friend—or whatever it is they were at that
point—within a day’s time was all she was able to think about, and no one was making it easier for
it to not be. Her stomach was in shambles and she had barely gotten any sleep from the moment she
had arrived from her failed trip to Whale Tail.

Still, in spite of her exhaustion and the way her mother was forcing her to taste-test hors d'oeuvres
for most of the morning after abruptly waking her at the break of dawn, Toph managed to sneak
away to her poor excuse of an academy. She needed time for herself, to teach her students, to not be
thinking about weddings or betrothal balls or inappropriately enjoyable wanton activities with her
soon-to-be-husband.

Because there were many, many wanton thoughts to be had, apparently, as she had spent her entire
night attempting to push them away, a searing ache between her legs that she tried hard to ignore
until she could no longer at the very thought of him.

She loathed it.

So when she managed to board her hack chaise some few miles away from the Beifong estate to
ensure no one saw her or followed her this time, Toph rode off to the outskirts of Gaoling, her
cloak and disguise perfectly adjusted.

Her students, Penga and Ho-Tun, sat in wait as she made her way down into the undercroft.

“It took you long enough.” Penga huffed, standing up from her chair. “I was beginning to lose my
patience.”

Toph scoffed, ridding herself of her cloak, her metal mask remaining secured upon her face as she
walked up to Penga. “You and your shortened hems could have left once you became impatient, so
either hush up or take your leave.”

To Toph’s satisfaction, that shut the chit up, permitting her to talk them through the concept of
metalbending. She did her best to explain what she knew from what she had learned herself after
inventing it, telling them that all they had to do was focus on the earth within the metal of a pair of
gears she had found inside an old grandfather clock. Only as a starting point, however. They would
move on to bigger and better things later; when they were ready.

It so seemed, though, that they would never be ready because even as Toph explained to them in
several different ways how they could manipulate the metal, they did not understand it.

“This is next to impossible, Sifu,” Ho-Tun said dejectedly, sounding extremely out of breath.
“There is no movement here.”

Even Penga sounded dismayed. “I really believed that I might be able to accomplish this.”

“And you might if you two were not thinking so bloody pessimistically,” Toph chided, correcting
each of their stances. They both stood too narrowly, rather than squaring their shoulders having a
stronger base. She huffed. “You are thinking about this too much when you are not to think at all!
Simply mind that metal is earth that has been purified. Refined. All the two of you must do is find
the impurities, find what is unrefined and imperfect and bend it.

“Use what you know about earthbending, the furnace burning in your core,” she instructed sternly
as she circled the two pupils. “Focus on what is right in front of you, not anything else. Not me
yelling at you, not the sounds either of you is making as you try to groan the metal into moving,
but on the gear before you. Only the gear.”

With some mumbles of ascent, Penga and Ho-Tun did as they were told, each of them
concentrating on their respective gear. Some hours, effort, and frustration later, one after the other,
Toph felt both pieces of metal shiver beside her.

“Sifu!” Penga exclaimed. It was the happiest Toph had ever heard her sound. “Did you see that? It
—it moved!”

“Mine did, also, Sifu! Not—not a lot, but it moved!”

It was not often Toph felt a sense of pride for people other than herself and those close to her, so to
say her heart swelled at the fact that her students were one step closer to understanding the art of
metalbending was an understatement, indeed.

She was also quite elated that she had not been wrong about their potential to metalbend because, if
they had not been able to, it would have been embarrassing for her.

Not wanting to celebrate too much because they truly had a long way to go, Toph raised an
eyebrow at them as she shrugged her cloak back on. “See what a little shred of effort is able to do?
Beats crying about what you were unable to accomplish, does it not?”

Penga ran up to her. “Where are you going? We should continue working on this. I am sure we
have almost got it!”

Toph shook her head. “I should think that today’s efforts were enough for you lily livers. At least
for now.”

“Must we truly wait until next month for the next lesson?” Ho-Tun asked shyly, walking up to the
two women.

“I am afraid you must,” she replied, walking up the stairs leading out of the undercroft. She
stopped and turned to them before disappearing. “I will correspond with you both soon. Great effort
today.”

It took less than a quarter of an hour for Toph to make it back to Gaoling. She had the hack drop
her off behind some of the buildings near the industrial side of the town because no one would
question her reasons for being there.

On the short walk back to town, Toph wondered about redecorating her make-shift dojo. Perhaps
she would have to make a trip back to the temple with Fen and maybe even Katara considering
how the latter knew about her academy and had a keen eye for decorating that Toph obviously did
not possess.

But then again, Katara would likely nag at her about the dangers of her scheme every few minutes,
so she might just have to forgo inviting her best friend for the moment.

Katara’s presence swam in Toph’s mind at that. She had called on Toph for a promenade around
the park the day prior, and even though Toph was happy to have some time with her friend, she was
even gladder to leave her house amid the wedding preparations.

Along with their maids, the two friends walked around the park and settled on a bench near the
water for some respite. They were silent for a few moments, enjoying the warmth of the day and
the wind hitting their faces, but Toph noticed that Katara had been quiet for most of their time out.
It was unusual, especially when she was the talkative one out of the two.

Toph abruptly jutted her elbow into Katara’s side, making her jump. “What is with you today?”

“Nothing, Toph. I am quite alright.”

“Do not lie to me.”

Katara scoffed. “You are surely one to talk.”

Toph’s mouth fell open at her tone. Not even when she had confronted her at Azula’s house did she
sound so brisk. She also knew that Katara had forgiven her for keeping so many things from her
from the moment they spoke about it all, so she was surely suppressing something. “What is
wrong?”

“Nothing is wrong.”

“I know that is not true.”

With a huff, Katara had turned her face away from Toph, a clear attempt to end the conversation.

Still, Toph was not going to let up. She needed to know what was on her best friend’s mind. There
were few things as important to Toph as her friendship with Katara; it was one of the rare things in
her life worth salvaging.

“The least you could do is tell me if you are angry with me.” Toph had shrugged. “Not like I care
if you are angry, but it is the least you could do.”

She laughed at the comment. “Why would I be angry with you?”

“I do not know—there are many things you may be angry with me about, so I am afraid that you
are going to have to tell me rather than make me list all of the possible reasons you may hold
resentment toward me.”

A little sigh as she placed a hand on her stomach, likely finding comfort in the idea of her child
growing within her. “I am not angry with you.”

“Well, you are something.”

“I am just… I do not know what I am.” She shook her head. “Restless, I suppose. Out of sorts.”

At that, it had dawned upon Toph that she had not asked her whether she told Zuko about their
child. So she did.

It took her a few moments to reply, but when she finally spoke, Katara shook her head again, her
heart rate quickening in panic. “I have not told him anything. I worry that—that telling him might
make things too real, and therefore, unattainable.”

Toph furrowed her brows. “What do you mean?”

“Once I tell Zuko that I am with child,” she had whispered, “it all becomes real, and I am not sure
that I am quite ready to face it. I told you that I have all this pressure upon my shoulders to sire the
Qin heir… I am just… afraid.”

“Of?”

“Of not being able to fulfill… my duty.”

“Katara…” Toph gaped. She had never heard Katara speak in such a way, and she never thought
she would. The two of them had always thought the same way about marriage and womanhood and
motherhood. They each had a purpose in this life and it was not to stand at a man’s side as a dutiful
wife; they had their own dreams and wants and needs. “This is not your duty. Having a child is not
your duty. And I am sure that Zuko would never ask that of you if this is not what you want—”

“That is not the problem. I want a child, I do. I just know how important his bloodline is to him as
well—”

“It is not more important to him than you .”

Those words made Katara quiet down for a minute and she quickly took Toph’s hand. “You are
right… I shall tell him this evening at supper.”

“And I am sure that he will be over the moon. He has always wanted to be a father just as you have
always wanted to be a mother, and whatever comes of it, he will remain.”
Katara had paused and had taken Toph’s hand. “You are a very good friend.”

“Yes, yes,” she had replied with an affected sigh. She truly did not want to get any more emotional
than she already had in this conversation. She had had enough emotion and heartfelt moments in
the past few days than she had in her entire lifetime. “I know. The very best.”

“You are to be my sister, in actuality, so I suppose I should refer to you as such from here on out.”

Katara’s tone was playful, knowing full well how much the idea of the wedding filled Toph with
dread. Just the mere thought of her having to be bonded to someone, to Sokka, for life was
otherworldly to her in the absolute worst way possible. She did not even know what she felt, but
she knew that she was chock-full of trepidation.

But marrying was something she had to do for her family, and she had to admit that things could
have been far worse.

“Do not hasten to do so. We are not even married yet, Katara.”

“But you will be, so it is all the same, sister .” Katara grinned, squeezing her hand. “It is
wonderful, truly. I have always wanted you for a sister, anyhow.”

Toph had rolled her eyes. “I suppose that is the one good thing to come out of this.”

“In all earnestness, I am really happy that this is happening. I only wish that you would open your
eyes.”

“Well, what good would that do?” Pathetically, she waved her free hand over her sightless eyes.
When there was nary a laugh from her best friend, she dropped in on her lap and huffed. “Look, I
do not need to hear for the trillionth time that he and I are made for each other and how we—”

“Love each other?”

Toph had grunted and stood up, dropping Katara’s hand in the process.

Katara followed as they began walking back in the direction of their respective homes. “That is a
very lovely betrothal necklace, by the by. I did not take you for someone who would wear such a
thing.”

“I—” Toph started, heat rushing to her cheeks. She had meant to not wear it that day, but at the last
moment, before leaving her house, she decided to put it on. For show, of course. “I must keep with
appearances, must I not?”

“Mhm, of course.”

She had refused to reply to her, figuring that she would be better off ignoring the topic for the time
being until she was no longer able to do so. Soon enough, the two bade each other farewell, wished
each other luck, and promised to see each other again at the ball.

It was incredible to Toph how she had walked into that conversation with Katara the day prior,
hoping to distract herself from her present situation, and that was the exact opposite of what ended
up happening.

Letting out a frustrated sigh at the memory, Toph involuntarily brought her fingers to her betrothal
necklace and then pulled the collar of her cloak up further in order to hide it from public view. She
continued the walk down the road leading up to Beifong House. The training session had left her
limbs feeling sore, and though she felt a bit of pain as she neared her home, she did not mind it. It
was a welcomed pain.

She was just short of a few paces from the estate before she heard her name being called. She
stopped walking and closed her eyes, feeling quite agonized, and huffed.

“My lord,” she responded sarcastically, pulling her cloak off. “What a surprise.”

His finger was wagging at her as he approached her, and his tone was laced with humor. “Katara
and Sokka have not told me anything about how this betrothal came to be, so I expect to hear it all
from you.”

“Might I at least get some food in me before you begin your interrogation?”

Her hand was on the doorknob as he said, “As far as I know, you can eat and talk just fine.”

“That would be unmannerly.”

“What do you care?”

A pause as she pushed the door open and had Bingwen ring for food. “Fair enough.”

He did not even wait for her to be seated to ask, “How did this all happen, then? Suki defrauded me
out of my antique katanas, I shall have you know, so this had better not be some trick you and
Sokka conjured up.”

Toph ran a hand down her face with a groan. The last thing she wanted was to have to make up
some fudge about how she and Sokka came together. Regardless, she figured that lying to Zuko
would be great practice for the crap she would spew about her and Sokka at the ball come the next
day.

“Not much to it, Sparky. It is quite simple, actually. We were pining after each other, we realized
that we were madly in love, and now we are to marry in two days’ time.”

“That simple?”

“That simple, indeed.” She shrugged, laying her feet on the small table in front of her as Bingwen
presented a platter of sweets in front of them. She could smell the freshly-made cake and assorted
desserts before her and she took no time to grab a slice of ji dan gao for herself. “These are very
good. You should have one.”

With a sigh, he reached over to the platter and obliged. “After all these years of you denying that
you hold affection toward Sokka, now, all of a sudden, you have decided that you will marry?”

“We have wasted enough time, have we not? That is what you all kept saying.”

“What happened, Toph?”

“Nothing happened, Zuko.”

“Something must have happened,” he insisted. The curiosity in his voice was irritating her. He
whispered, “Did he dishonor you?”

Despite the fact that, technically, this was the truth, Toph acted offended. “What kind of woman do
you take me for? No, Zuko, he did not dishonor me.”
He was silent for a few moments as he examined her expression. She remained stoic as always
while she attempted to enjoy the cake she was eating. Despite her countenance, however, there was
a world of disquiet within her. Because the two of them had been careless and impulsive, she was
due to marry her friend. And even though she did not want to do so, she knew she had to. It was the
only thing that could be done to save herself and her family from social ruin, something her parents
had always been concerned about.

Her palms began to sweat and she suddenly was no longer hungry for cake.

“Very well,” Zuko finally said, setting his plate on the table between them. “I shall choose to
believe you for now. I may be able to get Sokka inebriated enough to tell me eventually, however,
so do watch out.”

“A threat? That is quite improper, my lord.”

He chuckled. “I must brush up on my threats if I am to become a father in the next year.”

“Papa Sparky!” Toph exclaimed, genuinely happy to hear that Katara had finally shared the news
with her husband. She also appreciated the change of subject. “How do you feel?”

“Quite happy, I must admit. After everything that I went through with my father, I did not believe
that I would ever become one myself. But my views on fatherhood and parenthood, in general,
changed with Katara. Do not take this the wrong way, but she is made to be a mother just like, say,
you were made to be a pain in my neck—”

Toph sent a balled-up napkin flying at Zuko, making him laugh before he continued, “And I know
she longs for motherhood because she has told me as much. But she was so scared to tell me about
how her courses stopped and how she was sure that she was with child… all because of the fire
lord bloodline. I told her that it did not matter, that those who inherited the title before me were a
bunch of halfwits.”

“What did she say?”

“She calmed down after that, and I should think that we are able to be happy about it now.”

“Well, shit, Zuko.” Toph stood to meet him, laying a solid punch on his arm. “My felicitations. I
cannot tell you how happy I am for you both.”

“Then do not, and instead, tell me how you and Sokka ended up betrothed.”

She shook her head. “You are annoyingly relentless.”

“Quite aware, Nǚshì Naitok.”

“Out,” Toph said, with a serious look on her face as she pointed at the exit of the drawing room.
“Out of my house.”

Despite this engagement ball being thrown together at the last minute due to her mother’s
insistence amid her father’s dismay at the way the marriage was arranged, even Toph had to admit
that the turnout was impressive.

It could easily qualify as the ball of the season.

There were a few moments in which she did not entirely feel like drowning in the creek near her
home, such as when Iroh came up to her and offered her a much-needed embrace, telling her that
all would be well.

Toph tried to believe him.

Most of the evening, however, was spent with her not even pretending to pay heed to the
hypocritical words of congratulations from people she barely knew. She simply nodded, dryly
thanked them, and picked at the food that was being served around the viscount’s home,
attempting to not absolutely snap at anyone unprompted.

And she was most proud of herself for not rolling her eyes too wildly when Ty Lee managed to
find her.

“Congratulations on your impending nuptials, Nǚshì Toph,” Ty Lee said as soon as she approached
Toph. “I would have never thought you to ever come off the shelf. I truly do not know how you
managed to trap him, especially at your old age.”

“He was fortunate enough to not be trapped by you, in that case, Nǚshì Ty Lee,” replied Toph, who
was the ripe, old age of five and twenty.

“Why I beg to differ,” she replied emphatically before turning on her heel to leave. “Good rest of
your evening.”

The burning urge Toph had of telling her off was overwhelming, but she behaved.

Her irritation and discomfort did not stop at Ty Lee and the many other similar guests, however,
because her mother and Malina practically ran up to her to tell her that the night could not end
without her and her betrothed sharing a dance. It was tradition, they insisted. And as much as she
tried to refuse, her father and Hakoda were already making their way to the very front of the room
to propose a toast.

She was being pushed and pulled toward Sokka, who held two glasses of baijiu in his hand for
them to drink during the toast. With no pause nor hesitation, she took the glass he extended toward
her and did not wait for the fathers to finish speaking for her to gulp it down. It made whatever
bullshit her father was spewing all the more tolerable as she drowned out his words.

After a while, Sokka lifted his own glass to his lips, plucked hers out of her hand, then placed their
empty glasses onto a footman’s platter. Reluctantly, he offered her his hand as soon as the viscount
happily exclaimed, “To Sokka and Toph!”

And the crowd cheered.

Toph wanted nothing more than to send them all to hell.

Finally, after leaving him standing there for who knows how long, Toph took his hand and allowed
him to lead her to the center of the dance floor, where the eyes of the ton would be watching
shamelessly.

Toph did not hear the first strains of the waltz that began to play, she did not mind the stares that
the two of them were inevitably getting, she did not even think to count her steps as Sokka led her
in the dance. The only thing she paid any attention to was their closeness, his heartbeat, the feeling
of his hands on her body, one on her waist and the other holding hers over her glove. She could
feel his breath on her forehead and the way his fingers tightened around her own.

Unlike the many other dances they shared, this one was silent. Not a word was uttered between
them. There were only stuttered breaths and touches and painful, awful silence.

Throughout the one-hundred and twenty seconds the dance lasted, Toph blamed her dizziness on
the one glass she had drunk; she had no courage to believe it to be anything else.

When the music came to a slow stop, Toph could not get away fast enough. She curtsied, he
bowed, and she sought solitude. But despite not wanting to engage with anyone, including her
friends, she found herself being pulled suddenly to the corner of the ballroom to meet them.

Much to her slight satisfaction, there was no comment about the waltz she shared with Sokka, but
there were many reactions to Aang’s arrival at the ball. For once in the past few days, it was a treat
to not be the sole subject of interrogation.

“I was merely getting over a chill,” the duke told Suki and Zuko as Katara and Toph clutched each
other’s hands for dear life. His fib had only been known to the two of them. “Nothing of note,
truly.”

“Must have been quite the chill,” said Katara as she slowly sipped on her drink. “I cannot imagine
how horrible it must have been.”

Aang probably glared at her. Toph did not care to notice.

The rest of the conversation was lost on Toph as she found it more prudent to focus on the footman
passing out Shaoxing wine to the guests and snagged a glass for herself. As her friends continued to
bicker, she sipped away on her wine, wandering about the house until she decided to sneak into the
kitchens to pilfer a full bottle of it—or any kind of alcoholic beverage she was able to get her hands
on—before finding her way up to the bedchambers.

Finding her way into the room that she recognized to be Katara’s childhood chamber, she shut the
door behind her and slumped onto the bed, bringing the bottle up to her lips. She let the bitter liquid
coat her mouth. The alcohol slipped down her throat, making her feel a warmth she longed for and
had never before felt so intensely.

Toph threw her head back. She needed all of this marriage nonsense to cease, but that was not
going to be a possibility, so she relied on her wine. It would be the only thing to keep her sane.

Her bottle was mostly empty by the time there was a soft knock on the door to the bedchamber.
She did not bother to set her feet on the ground to find out who it was; she was tired, surprisingly
only a tad dizzy, and she already had an inkling as to who was knocking. She did not have the
energy to shoo him away.

Her suspicion was proved correct when she heard Sokka clear his throat after shutting the door.
“Are you quite well?” he asked.

“Dandy, in fact. The soirée was much too rambunctious, however, and”—she waved around the
bottle in her hand—“my hand was forced, I am afraid.”

Liquid sloshed in her ears as he joined her. “My hand seems to have been forced as well. The
footmen need to keep a better guard of their spirits and wines.”

Toph snorted and drained the rest of the bottle, haphazardly tossing it to the side. It fell to the
ground, and luckily, did not shatter. “Why are you up here? You should not be alone with me in a
house full of people, Snoozles. It is most inappropriate considering how we have not yet wed.”

“No one saw me,” he replied, taking a swig of his own bottle before handing it off to her. “But I
saw you come in here, so I followed you.”

She took the bottle from him and drank. “Well, that was a poorly thought-out decision because I
wish to be alone.”

“I do not wish to leave you alone, however.”

Her head fell back against the wall as she groaned. The audacity of this man to not give her the
space she needed, the space she would no longer have after marrying his ass. “I would much rather
you did.”

Some silence passed between them. She could hear that he was thinking about what to tell her,
about what he wanted to say as he took the bottle back and drank from it again. Just as she was
about to force herself to stand and drag him out of the room with her bare hands, he spoke
unintelligibly.

“What?” she asked. She could have sworn that she had heard Satoru’s name in what he had just
mumbled. Spirits, she had not even thought about him since she ended their engagement—she
wondered if he left town. “What did you say?”

“I said that the dance we shared tonight reminded me of the one you shared with Satoru not long
ago.”

The speed at which she sat up on the four-poster bed made her dizziness increase. She brought a
hand to her head. “I— what? What does he—why are you— huh ?”

He continued speaking as though she had not just nearly had a stroke of some sort at his words.
“You have no idea how dreadful it was for me to watch you dance the waltz with that man. The
waltz, Toph.”

Suddenly, Toph was filled with an irrational fury that sobered her up. Why would he be bringing
this up now?

She stood up and paced around the room for a few seconds before abruptly stopping and turning to
him. Her words sounded misarticulated due to the alcohol as she harshly whispered, “That does not
matter! You and I waltzed tonight, so I fail to see your distress.”

“It bothered me. It bothered me to see you with that man, wrapped in his arms, him whispering
what could only be sweet nothings into your ear—”

“And you did nothing about it, you dratted fool! You did nothing but stand there and gawk—”

“What could I have done, Toph?” he asked, angry as well. She had never heard him like this, not
even when he had caught her at the abandoned temple days prior. “What did you want from me?
You—I was not—I could not breach our friendship or your chances at starting a life with
someone.”

She laughed humorlessly. “But you did as soon as you tried to kiss me in my bedchamber and as
soon as you decided to compromise me in your carriage, Sokka. You had no problems then, did
you? Now, look at where that has brought us.”

“And I apologize for not thinking through my actions, alright? I do. But you are just as much at
fault here as I. You cannot stand there in earnest and tell me that you were not a—a willing…
participant in said actions.”
Had she not been as livid as she was, Toph probably would have laughed at how much he
struggled to utter that sentence. Instead, she stomped up to him and jabbed him in his chest. “That
is only because you have— you have made me—” A grunt. “Things have changed between us,
Sokka. And I do not like that they have.”

He grabbed her wrist and despite her struggling, he would not let her go. “And you believe that I
do? That I wish to be plagued by these feelings for you? There is nothing I would like less, in fact.”

“Then, leave!” she shouted despite knowing better. They were alone in a room in a household full
of gossipers. She pulled her arm out of his hand. “Leave because it is what you know how to do
best, is it not? You get on an ostrich horse, or a coach, or a ship, and you leave. You have the
perfect excuse. You can claim that you do not wish to marry me and beg off. It will allow you your
freedom to be a rake and a rogue and it will keep me from ever seeing a marriage bed—everyone is
happy and none the wiser.”

“Believe me, I would take my leave of you if not for the consequences doing so would bring. I
would if it meant that I no longer have to be in your presence, Toph.”

She scoffed at that, tears beginning to pool in her eyes at his words and the venom with which they
were said despite knowing they were untrue. He was aiming to hurt her and the alcohol was to
blame for her mangled emotions, to be sure. “You are lying.”

“Do you wish for me to be lying?”

“Sokka—”

His hand went up to her jaw, and no matter how much she wanted to recoil, she could not. Instead,
she ended up closing her eyes and leaning into his hand as he repeated, “Do you wish for me to be
lying? Because I can be and will leave posthaste at your word.”

“What I wish is for you to stop doing this to me,” she whispered.

“Doing what?” he asked, brushing his fingers down her arm and over the goddamn meteorite he
had gifted her. She hated how the feeling made her shiver.

Her mind was racing and she felt as though she was truly unable to breathe. There was such little
space between them, and if she desired, she could have tipped her head up and kissed him, just as
he had all those days prior.

Clearly surprised by her silence after their back-and-forth moments ago, Sokka reluctantly dropped
his hand, taking a few steps in retreat. “Toph?”

It had dawned upon her then that she wanted nothing more than for him to be all over her, as much
as she did not want to want it. Though she did not know what any of this meant, it was not her
desire to unravel it just yet; she did not wish to understand why she felt what she did. All she knew
was that she wanted his touches and his lips and his caresses.

She wanted everything.

She wanted him.

“I shall go,” he muttered, turning and walking toward the door.

For a moment, she did not react. Her mind was still frozen, reeling with revelations. But when he
grabbed hold of the doorknob, she knew she could not let him go. Not this night, not ever.
 “No,” Toph finally said. Her voice was hoarse, unlike her own. She took a few strides in his
direction and metalbent the key attached to the door to lock it before she lost all her grit. She had
the alcohol in her system to thank for any courage she had. “No. Do not—do not leave.”

“I do not understand—”

“I want you to stay.”

Chapter End Notes

no one:
me: aren't i so rude for ending it there? the audacity of me

anyway, I'm getting excited because we're reaching the high points of this fic now and
that can only mean that the end is near. not super near, but near enough that it's
starting to make me emotional.

just wanted to pop in here and thank those of you who have chosen to read this and
have stuck with it and have not absolutely hated it so far. it means a lot that you took a
chance on this niche fic idea and that you're enjoying it enough to tune back in every
week. so thanks again <3
 Chapter 16
Chapter Notes

content warning for spice in the first part of this chapter

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Sokka’s hand fell off the knob and his heart went erratic. “Wh—I—what?”

“Do not make me say it again, Sokka, or so help me, I—”

The rest of her sentence went unsaid as his mouth took hers in a kiss that she could not bear to
describe. Her body immediately reacted to him, becoming warm in an instant. His hands were on
her face and she gripped his robes tightly in her fists as they reacquainted themselves with each
other.

This was not going to be just a kiss. No. It was going to be much more than that. Much more than
what they had endeavored in the carriage, she knew as much from the moment she told him to stay.
The door was locked, and there was a bed just feet away from them. It was a recipe for ruin, she
thought as they explored each other’s mouths, but she was marrying him anyhow, so there would
be minor damage done if any. She found that nothing, other than what was happening, mattered.

On this night, Toph could let out all of the desire and emotion she had been suffering from these
past few days.

He pulled away from her, his breath was hot, mixing with hers as he asked, “Are you sure? Do you
want this?”

“We are to be married, what difference would it make?” she whispered against his lips before
kissing him again.

He grunted at the contact as he backed her into the bed and she gasped into his mouth. He trailed
his lips down her neck, over her betrothal necklace, and sucked on her collarbone as his fingers
went to the knot on the waistline of her hanfu, moving expertly to untie it until she felt the fabric
loosening, first around her ribs, then her breasts, then around her entire torso.

His lips were on hers again, warm and inviting and eager, as he made quick work of ridding her of
her chemise.

All that was left were her bloomers, hanging low on her waist, waiting to be torn off by him.

There was something so very wicked and titillating about being intimately bared before another
human being, but Toph felt no shame.

She heard a sharp intake of breath from Sokka as one of his hands hesitantly found her jaw again
while the other skimmed along the sensitive skin at the outside edge of her breast, teasing her with
his fingers. Despite how hot she felt at that instant, she shuddered all over, goosebumps surely
adorning her body.

Sokka set her down and she could feel his eyes raking over her body. His fingertips brushed lightly
over her thigh, her hip, and her stomach, stopping at her nipple, causing her to inhale as he laid her
back on the bed and hovered over her.

“Not in my wildest dreams did I ever believe I would have you this way,” he breathed as he kissed
his way up her abdomen and to her neck. “Never.”

Toph could not help but snort at that, despite everything that he was making her feel. “I believe
there are many things you once claimed you would never do in your wildest dreams.”

His reaction was immediate, albeit quite comedic. His lips froze where they were behind her ear
and he pulled away, resting his forehead against hers. He tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear
—another action that made her shudder—and said, “I will never stop apologizing for that.”

“Why?” She was feeling testy.

“Because from then on, maybe even before then,” he started, his index finger tracing a teasing line
from her bloomers up to her sternum, “all I have been able to think about, all that I have been able
to imagine, has been this moment. But nothing, Toph, nothing comes close to the realities of it.”

“Oh.”

He let out a deep chuckle as he pressed a kiss to the side of her right breast before standing up.
“Yes. Oh .”

There was shuffling some feet away from her and she was beginning to grow desperate at the lack
of any contact from him, but before she was able to sit up and protest, she heard fabric hit the
ground just as he reached out and covered her with both his hands. He moaned raggedly as he
adjusted his fingers so that her nipples popped out between them.

His lips were teasing over her own and she had had just about enough of it, so she tried to close the
distance between them to no avail. She grunted in frustration, but it quickly became a sound of
pleasure as he took her into his mouth while he kneaded her other breast with his hand. Toph did
not know what she was to do with herself except squirm.

“Are you trying to get away from me or come closer?” he murmured against her breast. He pulled
away and blew on her nipple, making her shiver.

“I do not know.”

He lifted his head fully and kissed her jaw. “Good.”

While he continued to touch her, one of his hands running up the back of her leg and the other
teasing her bosom, making her feel all kinds of things, she became keenly aware of how much she
needed him. It was humbling how much she needed him.

She was hot and so desperately wracked with a desire that she did not know she had. It was a
wonder she was even allowing herself to think.

“Tell me if I do anything you do not like,” he said, surprising her with the way his voice was
trembling over his words.

Toph breathed. “You know very well that I will tell you.”

He gave the impression of knowing exactly what to do as he pleasured her. She lost herself in the
sheer delight of the moment and the raging flame of desire with each flick of his tongue and nip of
his teeth, sending tremors to her very core. She could feel his hands and legs all over, with his
fingers brushing against her flesh and his leg squeezing in between hers.

As he rolled onto his back, he continued to draw her close until he placed her on top of him. The
evidence of his need pressed itself into her flesh as he pulled her close to him with his hands on her
derriere.

Toph gasped at the incredibly unfamiliar intimacy of it all, but Sokka’s lips, still fiercely tenderly
kissing her, stopped her in her tracks. Then, she was lying on her back with him on top of her, and
the pressure of his weight was pushing her into the mattress and squeezing the life out of her. Toph
felt herself curving up beneath him as if she could somehow arch her body into his while his mouth
moved to her ear and then to her throat.

Her faculties finally kicked into gear after that, knowing full well that she had to move, and she ran
her nails down his bare back. Due to only that action, he had to muffle a groan and she could not
help but smirk at the sound.

Having a married best friend had its perks, Toph thought. Where her mother—or any mama with
an unmarried daughter—did not speak of marital relations with Toph, Katara was easier to coerce
when it came to such matters. After Katara’s honeymoon, Suki and Toph pulled the newlywed
aside and pestered her about the marriage bed. It took quite a lot of convincing, but the then-new
fire lady spilled every single detail of what was to be expected, how children came to be, and what
was meant to occur. It was the most scandalous conversation the spinster-aged women had
participated in, but what a revealing conversation it had been.

So it was thanks to Katara that Toph knew that men loved being touched.

And it was oddly fitting that it was in Katara’s childhood bed that Toph was about to discover what
that did to Sokka.

His hands began to slowly pull off her bloomers and she heard him take another sharp breath as he
saw her in all her glory. He tossed the undergarment aside and spread her legs wide, running his
hands along her sides until they reached her thighs. His lips went to the inside of her thigh and
kissed up to her center and before long, he slid one finger inside her, causing her to gasp again.

Sokka laughed and had she not been so aroused, she would have kicked his ass, she was fully
certain of it. She ended up moaning instead as he slid another finger inside, effectively ending any
chance she had of cussing him out.

Toph enjoyed every second of what was happening even though she felt stretched thin. She must
have been extremely wicked and wantonly motivated because all she wanted to do was have him to
herself and never relinquish him or his magical fingers. She felt as though he could touch her in
any manner he wanted and do anything to her.

As long as he did not stop, that is.

“I do not think I can wait any longer—”

“Do not wait.”

“I need you.”

In a rare, tender gesture, Toph brought her hand to his cheek. “I need you, too.”

Then his fingers vanished. She briefly had an unusual feeling of hollowness and emptiness before
another, far more demanding, hard, hot, large entity pressed itself against her.

He kissed her. “This may hurt a moment.”

“I do not care.”

That was all he needed to push into her, both their breaths ragged. “Is this all right?”

There had only been a bout of pain that had been easily clouded by the feeling of herself stretching
around him and the burning desire she had for him. She could not bring herself to speak to answer
his question, so she just nodded jerkily, her nails clawing at his back.

He began to move, pace quickening with every single second. Their breaths were fast and hot as
her hips squirmed beneath him. She couldn’t help but moan into his mouth, her fingers pressing
relentlessly into his shoulders. Toph had to bite his lip to keep from crying out his name as she so
desperately wanted to as his hand went down to massage her bundle of nerves, sending her into a
frenzy.

Toph’s eyes were closed from the pure enjoyment of what was occurring, whimpers sounding out
from the back of her throat that she was unable to control, and she knew that they were both
quickly approaching something as she felt his pace impossibly hasten. They breathed out each
other’s names as he gave one more thrust before slipping out of her and collapsing on top of her,
absolutely powerless.

All that could be heard was the sound of their jagged breaths as they waited for the immense surge
of their bodies to settle down, the weight of him pressing her further into the mattress.

Until Sokka had placed her on the bed and set her alight with his touch, she had never experienced
anything like this before. Little though she knew about the acts of married couples, of making love,
she was certain of that fact.

Making love.

Love.

She froze.

“Toph?” Sokka whispered, the blissful movement of his fingers ceasing.

It was not possible.

“Toph?”

Or perhaps it was.

“Is something wrong?”

Toph pulled herself out of her frightened daze and, scrambling inelegantly out of his arms and the
bed and diving to the ground to grab her clothing, she stammered, “I must—I must leave.”

Sokka sat up. “Are you quite well? I—I thought—did you not want this?”

Spirits. He sounded so broken that she was moments away from returning to his warmth and telling
him that it was just the opposite. Instead, she slipped into her undergarments and her dress within
seconds and merely shook her head at him. “No—uh, yes, but—I—I am not well. I need—I believe
I am to return home now.”
“Toph—”

“I must leave.” And she slipped out of the bedroom without another word.

It had been yet another restless night for Toph in the Beifong household, and again, it had
everything to do with Sokka.

And she absolutely hated him for it.

Or she wanted to hate him for it.

She did not know, but she was up and out of her house bright and early the morning after the
betrothal ball. She needed to clear her head… There was too much of Sokka in it.

After narrowly escaping the ball the evening prior, Toph could barely think straight. She was
questioned by her parents before she left, but they immediately allowed her to take her leave after
having one look at her countenance. Her father actually seemed worried about her as he sent her to
the family carriage to be taken home right away.

When she laid in bed finally, after having prepared herself for a slumber that was not going to
come, all she did was toss and turn and think about all she felt that evening. About how good she
had felt, how good he made her feel.

How confused she was.

Her mind was filled with little moments from their time last night, their moment, their sex, and
thoughts of what they had done meant. And oh, how she wanted it to mean nothing.

Even now, as she walked aimlessly around the town, all she could think about was what love even
denoted. She did not love Sokka any more than she could love Zuko or Aang or Katara or Suki.
She had been trying to convince herself of as much since the silly idea was first presented to her. It
was true that she felt something for him, but that could not be love. She did not even know what
romantic love was, how was she to feel it for Sokka?

So Toph decided to take a lone walk that morning to clear her head. It was a good thing she had,
too, because she knew that her mother would drive her mad with talks about the wedding that was
to take place the next day. The last thing she needed was for her mother to make her more
disquieted about what her life would become.

Toph enjoyed taking walks and did so frequently to unwind, so it was not surprising that she spent
much of the morning exploring Gaoling. However, when she decided to take in her surroundings,
she realized that she was in the center of the town, just in front of the townhome Iroh was lodging
in for the season.

She and Iroh had not spoken in depth recently; nothing other than routine conversation. In fact, she
had not had a proper conversation with him since the last time their friend group had a sparring
match.

Although she had not planned on visiting Iroh, she decided to do so since she was already in the
area. Iroh was probably the only person she could stand to talk with today, anyway. She thus
marched up the stairs to his dwelling and gave the large brass knocker a solid clanking. His butler
opened the door nearly instantly.

“Nǚshì Toph,” he said. “Master Iroh was not expecting you.”

“No, I should not think that he was; I did not expect to be here myself. Is he at home?”

“I shall see,” the butler said with a nod, even though they both knew that Iroh would never refuse
to see someone so close to him and his nephew.

While the butler notified Iroh of her arrival, Toph waited in the drawing room, pacing aimlessly
because she was too restless to sit or even stand still. After a short while, Iroh appeared in the
doorway and a small smile crept onto her face.

“Iroh.”

“Toph. What a lovely surprise.” He crossed over to her and sat down on one of the chairs she had
been walking around. “Sit, dearest. You look rather like a caged turtle duck, pacing as you are.”

She sat, even though she felt uncomfortable and fidgety.

“And before you ask,” Iroh said, “I have already told Huu to see to food and tea. Will sandwiches
be enough?”

Toph sheepishly brought her hands to her empty stomach. She had left her house so early and in
such haste that she had not thought to have a bite of food before departing. “Could you hear my
stomach grumbling from across the room, then?”

“It is how I should learn how to anticipate your arrival. I can usually hear it from across town.” He
laughed, then leaned back into his seat. “What brings you by, Toph? Not that you need a reason, of
course. It is always lovely to have you.”

She shrugged. “Only passing through.”

Some silence passed between them and she knew that he was examining her. He tended to do this
frequently when she would visit him in earlier seasons after quarreling with her parents over any
and everything. And he would know that something was wrong with her instantly, though he never
pushed her.

Proving her correct, he inhaled. “Is something wrong?”

“No, of course not,” she said quickly. “Why would you ask that?”

“I do not know.” He cocked his head to the side. “You seem odd, is all.”

“Just tired.”

Iroh nodded, going along with her excuse. “Ah, wedding plans, I am sure. I remember how
exhausted Katara was for nuptials.”

She nodded at that and stood up, walking over to the large pianoforte in his drawing room and
running her fingers over the keys. “Exhausted is one such way to put it.”

“I am sure that it will pay off. The exhaustion, I mean to say,” he said carefully. After a short
pause, he added, “You and Sokka are undoubtedly the couple of the season. A love match like one
I have never seen before. I am so very glad the two of you are marrying.”

She nodded, trying to ignore her chest and stomach clenching at his words. She had not planned on
saying anything, and then somehow, she was saying his name. “Iroh—”

“Yes, dearest?”
She opened her mouth, then closed it. “Nevermind.”

“Toph,” he asked, his voice gentle and cautious, “what were you going to say?”

Toph sunk the E-flat key a couple of times and then started pacing again because she could not
stand still. She paused and noticed the worry in his heartbeat.

“It is nothing,” she began to answer, but it was not nothing, so she amended with, “I—How does
one know?”

She did not even realize that she had not finished her question until he responded, “How does one
know what?”

Her pacing ceased when she heard the pattering of rain against the window beside her. If she did
not want to get wet on the long walk home, she would have to borrow a carriage from Iroh. Yet,
she was not even sure why she was even considering the precipitation, though, as her main concern
was—

“How does one know what, dearest?” he repeated gently.

This was Iroh. He was not going to judge her no matter how outlandish her queries seemed, so she
just turned around and let the words break free. “How does one know when it is love?”

The question drained so much from her that it took her a moment to realize that Iroh was stunned
into silence at her words. Frankly, she would have been stunned into silence at such a heavy
question, too.

“Forget I asked,” she muttered, thankful that Huu was just returning to the drawing room with a
full platter of food that he set down on the table. There was warm tea as well.

Huu proceeded to bend Toph some of the tea from the pot that he set down into her gaiwan before
Iroh dismissed him and prepared her tea just as she liked it. There was once a time in which she
would have been offended by the gesture, but she has come to love that he knew her well enough to
know how she took her tea.

He handed her the cup along with a small sandwich. “I will not forget that you asked. I am glad
you asked, though I am more curious as to the reason.”

Toph closed her eyes, utterly disgusted with herself and not even wanting to try her tea. “I cannot
believe those words came out of my mouth.”

“Do not be ashamed. You are simply wondering if you have made the right decision in accepting
Sokka’s proposal, and one cannot fault you for that.”

It was not that simple, however. There was no proposal for her to accept, she had been thrust into
this just as she had thrust herself into something that she knew she should not have in that carriage.
It was so much more complicated than needing reassurance.

When she did not respond to him, he continued, “Falling in love is different for everyone… one
simply knows .”

“So what you are saying,” Toph said, allowing herself to take a bite out of the sandwich that was
placed in front of her, “is that if one does not know that one is in love, then one probably is not.”

“I—no. No, that is not what I am saying at all.”

“Then what are you saying?”

“What I am saying, dearest, is that love grows and changes every day. And it does not suddenly hit
you as though you were charged into by a bull pig. I know that Hakoda says that it was that way
for him and both Kya and Malina, and that is lovely, but Hakoda is not normal.”

Toph wanted to laugh, but she could not bring herself to stop sipping her tea.

“I knew I was falling in love with my wife—may she rest in peace—because I could not go one day
without seeing her, hearing her voice, talking to her about the smallest mundanities. I wanted to
share every last detail about my day with her and hear every last one of hers. I had never felt that
way for anyone before. The next thing I knew, I was asking her father for her hand and it was the
best decision I had ever made.”

She had never met the woman who made Iroh a widower, the woman everyone still credits for
bringing light into Iroh’s life. And she had never heard him speak of her until this moment.

His words sounded familiar, however. It was how she always felt about Sokka. Having the urge to
speak with him about any and everything, wanting to hear all about his travels and goings on,
wanting to merely be around him… but that could not have meant that she loved him, could it?

Or perhaps it could.

“Do you wish to know what I think?”

“No,” Toph said into her teacup. “But you will find a way to tell me even if I decline to know.”

“You are correct.” Iroh guffawed and took her hand, giving it a squeeze. He said, “You love him,
Toph. I believe so.”

“You and everyone else…”

“Only because that is how evident it is. The both of you appear to be absolutely gone for one
another. And the fact that you have even asked how one knows if they are in love is an indicator of
your love for him.”

Her eyebrows furrowed and her cheeks reddened. “How?”

“You would not be doubting your love for him, or questioning it if you did not love him.”

At that, Toph put her cup down and let go of Iroh’s hand to stand up. She took a deep breath and
sat at the pianoforte, her fingers sinking into random keys as she had no intention of stringing a
tune together—she just needed something to keep her occupied for a moment. Regardless of her
goal, however, her mind went directly to Iroh’s words and to the way she felt about Sokka,
especially after they had lain together; after feeling everything she felt when they had lain together.

She had always imagined that falling in love, if she ever did fall in love at all, would come to her
like a bolt of lightning. She imagined that she would know that her life would be permanently
altered by one person she met. It was one of the reasons why she did not believe that she ever
would fall in love herself—it seemed impossible and ridiculous and unfathomable. It was the
makings of fantasies.

But this was Sokka, and her newfound feelings for him had merely crept up on her. The change had
been sudden, and if it was love, then—
 If it was love, she would certainly know as Iroh had just told her she would!

It dawned upon Toph at that moment that she had been trying to make herself believe the opposite
of what her emotions dictated, that she did not want to let go of what was familiar to her, that she
had not merely lain with Sokka as she had been trying to convince herself…

It was love.

And she was goddamned terrified.

“Toph?”

She turned to face her pseudo-uncle, who she was sure was looking at her too. She stood, intending
to leave his home before she embarrassed herself beyond repair. Then, she gave him a gentle nudge
on the shoulder. “I should go,” she said.

Iroh gave her hand a pat in response and asked, “Would you consider staying longer? I could have
Cook prepare dinner for two.”

“No, but I stand to take that offer some other day. For now, however, I think I shall walk home.”

“Walk? Dear, it is raining.”

“A little bit of rain never hurt anyone.”

He stood from where he sat and insisted, “Take my carriage, Toph. And take some of these
sandwiches with you. I know that I will not finish them all on my own; perhaps you may share
them with Sokka if you are allowed to see him before the wedding.”

Toph felt her cheeks warm up and she nodded, allowing Huu to guide her over to Iroh’s carriage
beneath an umbrella.

She leaned her head against the seatback and sighed shakily as the carriage took off, a new sense of
fear befalling her.

Chapter End Notes

the wedding is only two chapters away, y'all... who knows what could happen?
hope you enjoyed this and that it wasn't....icky lmaooo
 Chapter 17
Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

Toph felt queasy as the carriage pulled up in front of Beifong House.

Her morning had come with one too many revelations for her liking and she was not very enlivened
about what it all meant for her.

She supposed that entering a marriage in love with the man who was meant to be her husband was
a good thing. But, at the same time, the man who was meant to be her husband was Sokka and that
still did not sit quite right with her.

Toph had always been against marriage and the fact that she was now going to be eternally bonded
to Sokka of all people made things both better and worse. Better because she could have been
arranged to wed a complete stranger; worse because it was Sokka.

She was in love. With Sokka. The fact alone unsettled her deeply and if there was anything she was
able to do to reverse her feelings for him, she would do so, by the Spirits, she would. Had she been
in love with anyone else in the world, Toph was certain that she would not feel as revolted as she
did, but that was not the case. She loved her closest friend and there was nothing she was able to do
about it.

The issue was not that Toph feared love, she just did not believe in it the way that everyone else in
her life did. And knowing that she felt this way frightened her. Love, as she had come to know it
after years on the marriage market, was a hoax that only a select few ever experienced to the
fullest. And if she loved Sokka, the likelihood of him loving her was quite low in her eyes.

It was one thing to love someone and another to desire them, and Toph believed that Sokka was
experiencing the latter for her. She could not exactly blame him, of course, but it was more than
likely true.

Desire. It was funny how she felt that toward him also. Lust and desire. Flashes of his breath
against her skin and the way he felt against her and within her and—

She needed to stop.

Luckily, the cold rain that hit her as she stepped out of the carriage and jogged toward the front
door of her parents’ residence rid her of the inappropriate thoughts that plagued her.

The house was quiet when she stepped in, which surprised her considering that it was the eve of
the wedding. Perhaps her mother had finally tired herself out after so much preparation, or maybe
she handed some responsibility off to Malina, though if she knew her mother well, that would not
have been the case. Malina was just as meticulous as Poppy was, but Poppy was too controlling to
simply hand off tasks that she needed to get done.

“Lovely day for a walk, then, ma’am?” Bingwen said as he handed some towels over to her. She
had managed to get herself drenched on the walk into the house from the carriage.

Toph shook her head at the footman, a bemused look on her face as she took a towel from him.
“Wise man you are, Bingwen.” She began to pat herself down with the warm cloth, wishing
suddenly that Katara were there to waterbend her dry. After a sigh, she asked, “Where are my
parents?”

“The master and mistress are off on a promenade around the park with the viscount and
viscountess. They have been out for about an hour, so I expect their return soon.”

She walked over to the staircase leading up to her chambers after handing the towel back over to
him. “Wonderful. I shall be in my room. It goes without saying that—”

“You shall want lunch sent up. I will inform Nǚshì Fen of your arrival as well.”

“This is why you are my absolute favorite footman!” Toph exclaimed with false enthusiasm as she
stomped her way up to her room.

Immediately after she shut the door behind her, she dove into her bed, grabbed a pillow, and
screamed into it before throwing it across the room.

Toph supposed that she should be happy that she figured out that she loved the man she was due to
marry in less than twenty-four hours. Not many people had the opportunity to love the person they
were bound to spend the rest of their life with, but she did. She should count herself lucky,
certainly.

And Toph wanted to be happy. She wanted so much for everything to be simple and for happiness
to exist only as bliss. Without giving her own concerns a second thought, she wanted to celebrate
her recent successes and upcoming endeavors. Instead, she was allowing herself to be weighed
down by a mere revelation.

She did not know what to do with herself. She did not want to love Sokka. In fact, she did not want
to love anyone because loving someone meant either marriage or heartbreak, two things that she
wanted to sidestep her entire young adult life. She had a plan—she was going to compete in her
tournaments, teach her students in her academy, and live a full, happy life as a spinster, no man nor
marriage nor child to tie her down.

But now… now she was to marry Sokka and there would be growing expectations in regard to her
marriage. She would be expected to have children and be a doting wife. And nothing brought her
more fear nor trepidation.

Well, except for the fact that she was in love with Sokka. That brought her much fear as well.

In the middle of her battle with herself, there was a soft knock on her door, startling Toph into
sitting up. It was Fen.

“I was just told by— oh, my goodness, you look sickly.”

She glared as she tucked her legs beneath herself on the bed. “I can always count on you to tell me
the honest-to-the-Spirits truth.”

“And you should be so grateful, indeed,” Fen replied, setting something down on the table on the
other side of the room. “Xiansheng Bingwen told me that you called for me and that you had
requested food be sent up, so I offered to do so myself… I did not expect to see the very shell of my
mistress when I did so.”

“You are insufferable.”

Fen handed Toph some warm tea and a plate with a selection of pork, rolls, and a side of biscuits
along with a fresh blanket. “That is a most sincere compliment, ma’am.”
Toph pulled the blanket around her shoulders and immediately dug into her food, feeling quite
hungry after everything that had happened between the night prior and this morning. She ended up
devouring everything on her plate within a minute and then she sipped on her tea before speaking
again. “That—that was very good.”

“I… can see that, considering how you all but inhaled it,” Fen replied, taking the plate from her and
adding on another serving. Before handing off the plate, however, she asked, “What plagues you
so?”

“Oh, well, I do not know. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that I am going to do
precisely what I fought against for years tomorrow at the eleventh hour.”

“I understand. But your betrothed will make sure that you are as happy as you possibly can be.”

Toph shook her head. “It is not—that is not my problem.”

“Then, what is it?”

The last thing she wanted to do was admit to Fen what she had been refusing to acknowledge
herself since the idea was first brought up—that she did, in fact, love Sokka. Toph was not one to
admit defeat easily; she had the Earth Rumble to blame for that.

But she did not have to say anything because, within a few seconds of asking her question, Fen let
out a bewildered breath. “You have discovered your love for him and you are petrified.”

“Fen—”

“Do not be so quick to try and deny it. I know you better than you know yourself.”

She just rolled her eyes and snatched the plate out of Fen’s grasp, focusing on eating her second
helping of pork and finishing off her cup of tea.

Fen grabbed the empty cup of tea and plate out of Toph’s hands. “You must go to him.”

“What difference would it make? It is not as though I am on the clock about this matter. I am going
to be married to him for as long as we both shall live, am I not? There is certainly no rush—”

“Of course there is no rush! But I believe that you should tell him how you feel before he marries
you under the wrong impression. It is just that simple.”

“I cannot, Fen. It is—it will be shameful if he did not—I cannot .”

All he felt for her was lust, desire, need. He did not, could not love her any more than what one
friend could love another. The only reason they were marrying was that her father was forcing
them to do so, and even if he had not, Sokka would have asked for her hand in order to prevent ruin
from befalling her family. No other reason. They had even agreed to be married in name only. That
was no true indication that he reciprocated her feelings.

Telling Sokka how she felt, would simply complicate matters.

At least complicate them more than they were currently, especially after the events of the
engagement ball as much as she enjoyed herself then...

Fen grabbed Toph’s hands and squeezed. “He loves you, Toph. Believe me, he does. Everyone can
notice as much. I wish that you would as well.”
“He loves the idea of having someone he can use to wet his wick at every hour of the day at his
disposal; he does not love me.”

“You are so frustratingly stubborn!” Fen exclaimed, releasing Toph’s hands and standing up. “I
cannot force you to realize the love he has for you, but perhaps you will see that yourself when you
marry. It is not so hard to speak with him about this.”

“You say that because you do not have to do it!” Toph shouted at her, then heaved a shaky sigh.
“He is my closest friend—and he would be my best friend if not for Katara already having the title.
So much is changing, too much for me to stop. I do not want my friendship with him to change,
too. I—I do not want a foolish love confession to completely sabotage what we have.”

Fen softened and crouched down in front of Toph. “That will not happen. I am absolutely certain.
But I will not force you into anything you do not want to do. It is, of course, not my place to do so
anyway. I will say this, however: you do not have to fear the life that is to come because you will
live it to the fullest at the side of someone you are so totally fond of just as he is of you.”

Toph did not know how to respond to that. And even if she had, she would have been interrupted
by another sudden knock on her door. Toph’s brows furrowed as she let a foot fall to the ground
just Fen quickly stood up and opened the door to find Poppy standing behind it.

Fen quickly excused herself, taking the food platter and tea with her as she gave the mother and
daughter some privacy for their conversation. The squeamishness Toph felt earlier made its return
because she knew just what this conversation would be about.

Sometime before one’s wedding, one’s mother was expected to deliver all the marital secrets. Or at
least that was what Katara had told her and what Toph herself had heard from married women of
the ton whenever she cared enough to listen to their talks. One was finally allowed to join the
company of women and be informed of all the wicked and delectable details that had been
meticulously withheld from the ears of unmarried ladies. Of course, Toph already knew what was
to happen in a marriage because she and Suki had all but forced Katara to tell them; Poppy knew
nothing of that conversation and she would rather keep it as such.

Her mother paced around for a few moments, making Toph want to just flat-out ask her to spit it
out, but before she could, Poppy paused and took a seat at the very edge of the bed, right next to
her daughter.

“Is this about the wedding night?” Toph dared to ask, swallowing in an attempt to keep the bile she
felt rushing up her throat from making itself known.

Poppy grabbed both of Toph’s hands. “Do not say a word until I have finished speaking.”

“Mother—”

“Not one word, Toph Beifong, or I may not say what I need to say without weeping or swooning or
both.”

Toph just nodded, her eyebrows furrowed as her mother took a few deep breaths and said, “I was
beginning to lose hope of you marrying and I suppose that deep down, I assumed that you would
not do so, but to see you with someone I know makes you happy brings me insurmountable joy,
dearest.

“I always thought you would get your wish and never marry. Perhaps even end up growing old
with me after your father was no longer with us—because, let us face it, I will be outliving him—
and truthfully, I will be lonely without you.” Poppy sighed, releasing one of Toph’s hands to wipe
away a tear. “But none of this takes away from the fact that I am so very pleased for you. This is
what is best for you.”

Toph blinked at her mother’s words, not really knowing how to respond. Despite her grave distress
regarding the wedding and Sokka and the way she felt, Toph found herself feeling oddly touched.
This was the closest Poppy had ever come to saying that she loved her, and she did not know what
to do with herself.

“I—thank you, Mama.”

“No need for that. I simply thought I should tell you,” she replied as though she had not just been
on the brink of tears. She gave Toph’s hand a pat. “Now, you know why else I have come to speak
with you this afternoon.”

Toph nodded.

“I am sure that I do not have to share much considering the way that boy gawks at you every time
he sees you. But I shall share my knowledge with you, nonetheless.”

Her eyes widened. She was mortified at the accusation, which was, to be sure, absolutely correct,
but Toph did not need her mother to know as much. For the first time while lying to her mother, she
felt unconvincing. “You know not of what you speak, Mother.”

“Oh, do not lie to me, Toph. I may have been a bit absent but I am not bl—uh, foolish.” Poppy
cleared her throat at her slip-up as Toph attempted to not laugh in her face, despite her current state
of distress. She continued, “As I was saying… er, how—how much do you know of, um, marital
endeavors, dear?”

She did not know what else to do other than press her lips into a thin line at that.

“I see.” Her mother cleared her throat and winced. “Then, I shall say this: more often than not,
ejaculation leads to children—”

“Mother—”

“—so do be cautious of how and when you decide to allow him to reach his completion inside—”

“ Mama! ”

Poppy patted Toph’s hand again. “I do not like this any more than you do, but it is something you
needed to know and I was not going to send you out into the world being ignorant to the realities of
intimacy and the marriage bed.”

It was a wonder how Toph had not been sick yet.

There was a bit of uncomfortable silence between them before Poppy spoke again, endeavoring to
change to subject. “Your father and I have not been the best example of what a loving marriage
should look like and I have never, ever wanted that for you. But considering this family’s status, I
had to prepare you for everything—including a loveless marriage.”

Toph was silent for a moment, grateful for the abrupt topic shift. She knitted her eyebrows
together, thinking about the previous conversation she had had with her mother about the nature of
her marriage to her husband. The last time her mother spoke to her about this was when she
debuted in society. “Do you truly not love Father?”
“Oh, dearest. I do love your father, but I did not come to love him because he was the person I
wished to marry; I came to love him because he gave me you. And that makes all the difference.
That, and the regard a husband has for his wife. But I have seen Xiansheng Sokka in your
company. He treats you with so much care and respect, and from the moment you both met, you
have been inseparable. It was the main reason why I was so worried about your courtship with
Xiansheng Satoru because, well, it was evident how much affection you hold for your betrothed,
even while you were publicly engaged with someone else.” She paused. “You will have nothing to
fear, of that I am certain. He will treat you well.”

Poppy placed a rare kiss on Toph’s forehead and exited the room. Toph sat on her bed for a while,
her blind gaze pointed at the wall across from her.

Her mother was mistaken. Toph knew that for a fact. She was quite afraid of what was to come.

After Poppy left Toph alone, Fen returned to help gather and pack Toph’s childhood bedroom up.
It took them most of the day to gather all her belongings, carefully tucking them into trunks in
order to be taken to the new estate in Gaoling she was to share with Sokka—with her husband.

Apparently, the promenade Malina, Hakoda, Lao, and Poppy went on in the morning involved
talks of Toph and Sokka’s new living arrangements, and Hakoda had mentioned that Sokka
insisted they stay in Gaoling as he did not want to remove Toph from her hometown. He also told
the Beifongs that Sokka would return to the Southern Water Tribe when he was needed, and would
be sure to make frequent visits that he would want Toph to accompany him on.

She was incredibly touched by this information and she tried hard to not run off and seek him out to
thank him the way a soon-to-be-wife should thank her soon-to-be-husband.

It was also difficult for her to remain stoic when her father mentioned during dinner that evening
that Sokka had refused her dowry. He had told Lao that he did not desire to feel as though he was
buying Toph off the market. Lao seemed happy about that.

Her chest was warm the entire time she was listening to her parents fill her in on this information
over dinner that evening.

Following that, Toph spent the entire afternoon and evening thinking about the multiple revealing
conversations she had had throughout the day, though the one that prevailed was the one she had
with her mother.

Never in her five and twenty years of life did Poppy Beifong sit with her daughter to speak to her
about her relationship with Lao Beifong. There was only that one instance before in which she had,
just before Toph’s societal debut. She had never been so open and honest about something of this
gravity.

Perhaps that was precisely why Toph felt less unsettled about the wedding. If Sokka did, in fact,
love her too, there would be nothing for her to worry about. Marriage would not be so horrible with
someone who loved her, would it? It could not be. Zuko and Katara’s relationship was proof of that
very thing, no matter how much Toph wanted to deny that she would ever have a love match like
theirs.

But if he did not love her, at least they were friends first and they would always have that.

Still, being the wife of a man who was next-in-line for a title, as Sokka was, came with the
expectation to sire an heir. The idea brought her much fear and anxiety and she was not ready to
take on that pressure, so she would not.

So very much change. Too much of it too soon.

“You are all packed up, save for your wedding dress and anything else we may find a use for
tomorrow,” Fen informed her, giving the chest at her side a firm pat, breaking her out of her
thoughts. “I have also placed your collection of rocks in their own trunk with some padding, I
know how much you love them. And I have stashed away the hollowed-out books that contain
your winnings from the Earth Rumbles in the same trunk.”

Toph nodded once and thanked her. Then, somewhat shyly she asked, “Will you be coming to the
—um, my new home along with us after the reception?”

“No, I will be leaving straight from the temple after the wedding to help prepare your quarters for
your arrival. The servants will then take up residence elsewhere to give you and your husband time
alone for the wedding night, so I will be staying here until the next morning. But if you need me, I
will be sure to remain with you for as long as I can. I am sure your quarters will be to your liking
without me there to supervise.”

“That will not be necessary. I just—I wanted to know if I—if I should expect you to be there.
Because I understand if you have the desire to take your leave of me, considering how long you
have been my lady’s maid—”

There was a tiny gasp before Fen walked up to her. “You will not rid yourself of me until I am old,
dead, and decomposed. That is a promise.”

She could tell that Fen was not lying, not just in the way her heart was beating but in the way she
said it. Toph had to bite her lip to keep it from trembling as she pulled Fen in for a hug. She did not
know what she was to do if the person she trusted most was not going to follow her to the ends of
the earth. She much less knew what she was to do without someone to confide in while she was
attempting to accept her feelings for Sokka still.

“If there is nothing else,” Fen said tearfully as she released Toph, “I need to tend to some things of
my own in regard to your move.”

Toph simply nodded because if she opened her mouth, she might let out a sob instead of a coherent
sentence and she could not very well have that.

“I am only a ring away if you need me,” Fen iterated before slipping out of the room.

With that, Toph let herself fall back onto the bed with a wet huff. She was in her favorite zhong yi
with a banbi wrapped cozily around her shoulders. With the tips of her toes that remained on the
ground, she could feel the multitude of trunks that were strewn across the room. Her life was all
packed away, neatly stored, and ready for transport to her new home.

Toph got up again and walked about the space, pausing to brush her fingers over another folded
zhong yi that was ready to be placed in the last of her trunks. Lady Malina had chosen it; it was
modest in cut but seemed to be made of sheer material based on the way it felt. She had it sent to
her along with Poppy’s lady’s maid that afternoon and Toph was horrified.

The mere thought of Malina choosing the nightgown Toph was expected to wear on her wedding
night haunted her from the moment she was handed the box it came in that afternoon.

Her disquiet returned at the thought of the wedding night. She supposed that the entire purpose and
build-up to it was gone considering how they had lain together two days prior to their wedding.
It still shocked her that she loved Sokka. It felt almost forbidden. Impossible. But here she was,
brooding over such a fact with her fingertips grazing the stone on her betrothal necklace.

She wondered why she had not rid herself of it already, at least until the wedding. She did not
much like to be marked as someone’s property, which was exactly what she supposed this necklace
was supposed to do, but she did not feel that way. It felt almost right to wear.

Just when she was going to ring for some tea and biscuits to calm her nerves, she felt familiar
footsteps approach her room before she heard a knock.

It was Katara.

Quickly, she opened the door for her best friend, who immediately hugged her before plopping
onto the bed. “I must speak with you.”

Toph was shocked that her friend was in her bedchamber so late at night. Normally, visits were
reserved for the morning and afternoons, or a bit later if there was a dinner to attend. Katara had
never turned up at Beifong House so late.

“Is it truly so important that it could not wait until tomorrow?”

“It truly could not because you are getting married tomorrow and I will not have too much time to
speak with you privately,” Katara explained, tucking herself under the covers and patting the space
beside her so Toph would join her. She did. It reminded her of the times they sojourned in each
other’s homes before they debuted.

Toph rolled her eyes and shoved Katara’s shoulder. “Out with it, then.”

Katara took a deep breath and took Toph’s hands. “Are you scared?”

“No. No. I am not—I am not scared.”

“Nervous?”

Toph did not respond and Katara nodded.

“That is to be expected. Only a loon would not be nervous the night before their wedding. Your
entire life is about to change. You shall be a married woman, an entity separate from your parents.
The future viscountess of—”

Toph huffed, pulling her hands out of Katara’s. “You are doing nothing to talk me down from the
ledge I am currently perched on, Sugar Queen.”

“Right,” she muttered with a sigh. “Sorry.”

Some silence passed between them until Toph grunted. “What is it that you came to say then?”

“Well, I came to say that I love you and that marrying Sokka is probably the best decision you are
ever going to make. It makes me very, very happy that you and I are to be sisters officially, you
truly have no idea.”

Toph allowed a small smile at that. Having Katara as a friend has been nothing short of
spectacular. In terms of personality, they could not be more different, but that was what Toph
thought made them such a great pair. There was not a life in which Toph could imagine them two
not being friends, and the fact that they were to be bonded as sisters for the rest of their lives
brought solace to her in a way nothing else had.

Things might not work out well between her and Sokka, but she knew that she would always have
Katara.

“You are such a sap.”

“You love me for it, though.”

“Not for that, but I do love you, I suppose.”

It was Katara’s turn to shove Toph’s shoulder and the two of them laughed until Katara spoke
again. “I brought you something.”

“What? Why?”

“I owe you a wedding gift.”

“You do not need—” Toph stopped herself and furrowed her brows, curiosity getting the better of
her. “What is it?”

Katara snorted, then shuffled around to pull out what Toph assumed was her gift and placed it
gently in her hand. It was in a jewelry box, and Toph could already feel that it was a necklace made
of some kind of metal. After taking it out of the box, she immediately identified it as gold, and
Toph’s eyes widened. “Katara—”

“I know, I know, you do not wear jewelry,” she drawled sarcastically. “But I also know that it is an
Earth Kingdom tradition for the bride to be gifted a gold token to promote success and prosperity,
honor, and loyalty as well as wealth… and I just could not resist it. There is also a small
badgermole charm hanging from the very middle there. You, of course, do not have to wear it, but I
needed you to have it.”

Toph did not know what to say. She simply examined the necklace carefully, running her thumb
over the charm Katara mentioned with great cautiousness. When she finally found her words, she
said, “You did not have to do this, but I thank you, regardless.”

“No need for all of that. It was the least I could do, especially after your gift to me for my
wedding.”

The night before Katara married Zuko, Toph snuck out of her house and ran over to the viscount’s
home to give Katara a set of the Beifong family jewels. It included a necklace, a bracelet, and a
ring that her mother scrambled to find for over a year. To this day, Poppy has no clue where that
jewelry set went and Toph still laughed about it with the same enthusiasm she had the day she
swiped them.

“It is lovely,” Toph said, sitting up and handing it to her. “And I will only wear it because you
gifted it to me. For no other reason.”

Katara laughed, taking it from her and clasping it around her neck, just over her betrothal necklace.
“Oh, I would not expect any less.”

For a moment, they just sat there until Toph laid her head on Katara’s shoulder and said, “I hate
how much everything is changing.”

“Contrary to popular belief,” Katara said quietly as she squeezed her hand, “change can be good.”
 Toph closed her eyes tightly, and squeezed Katara’s hand in return, hoping to the Spirits and
anything else that would listen that she was correct.

Chapter End Notes

Crying at how far this fic has come because in no world did I expect that I would get
to a 17th chapter LOL. but the fact that this fic has been entirely written and is waiting
to be posted??? oof.

i hope you're all enjoying it so far because there's more to come! wedding chapter's up
next week oop
 Chapter 18
Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

The day she had been dreading had arrived and she did not feel any better about it than the night
before. Things were going to change for her, and she feared that it would not be for the better, that
this day would only prove how badly things would turn.

From the moment Katara shook Toph awake and informed her that she would meet her at the
wedding venue, Toph wanted nothing more than to curl up in her bed and not be bothered. This
would not be the case, however, because Fen and the rest of the maids in the household scurried
into Toph’s bedchamber to usher her into her tub for a bath. The other maids had even begun to
wash her until both Fen and Toph barked at them to leave her be. On another day, she might have
allowed it while stubbornly gritting her teeth and holding back swears, but she could not manage
any of that this morning.

It was as though she was doing everything automatically. She stepped out of the tub and into the
towel Fen was holding out for her, she was answering questions that she did not even register, she
was slipping into her stockings and her cheongsam, and she was allowing her maids to apply
cosmetics to her face and braid her hair.

And she was not present for any of it.

Nor was she for the rest of the morning as it became an absolute blur until she and her parents
arrived at the wedding venue.

Lao and Poppy walked her over to her preparation quarters and left her alone for a few moments as
they began greeting the arriving guests.

The wedding, which was being held at the large temple near Beifong House, seemed as though it
was to be almost as large as the structure itself. There were far too many invitees that Toph did not
recognize upon arrival and she was readily reminded of her irritation at her mother’s planning
efforts. Most of the ton was about to witness her sham of a wedding. How lovely.

As she tried to keep herself composed, there was a knock on her door from Suki and Katara, who
entered the room promptly after Toph had grunted they come in. Both of them sat beside her and
took her hands, their heartbeats quickening by the second, and Toph deflated.

“What has happened?”

Suki cleared her throat after a few seconds and carefully said, “It seems as though your groom is
late to your nuptials.”

“Zuko found my brother passed out in front of the club early this morning,” Katara further
explained, trying to keep her voice even despite sounding incensed. “He reeked of booze and
smoke, and I believe that he is now getting ready to come and take his place at the altar.”

Without intending to, Toph’s lips parted as she drew her hands out of theirs to pull the meteorite
bracelet off her arm and bend it into different shapes. She had gotten into the habit some days ago;
it helped keep her hands occupied so as to not destroy something she did not mean to.

Such as Sokka’s face once he arrived.

She did not expect anything less from him, honestly. His behavior only proved further what she
thought. He was merely ready to marry her out of some warped sense of duty and responsibility.

On the evening they were caught in the carriage—the evening they became betrothed—he
mentioned that he would not want shame to be brought upon her family if word got out about their
endeavors, so that perfectly confirmed her suspicions. Perhaps, he had also been thinking about
protecting his own family’s reputation, which while honorable, made her believe that he did not
love her the way she loved him.

So for him to have been found by Zuko on the steps of the gentlemen’s club he frequented did not
surprise Toph. It merely made her open her eyes to the realities of things, and she could not very
well blame him for not wanting this. She did not want it either—she did not want to marry anyone
just as she did not want to love him. But there she was, primped and preened and dolled up to walk
down an aisle on the arm of her father, to be handed off to… no one.

Finally, Toph pursed her lips and laughed dryly. “I was truthfully waiting for him to beg off.”

“Toph—”

“No, no,” Toph interrupted Katara, ignoring the feeling of her stomach churning. She stood up
from where she sat and took a few steps toward the door. “This is perfect. I do not have to get
married and Sokka can remain a bachelor in his paradise and continue raking about. He shall be
very happy indeed and I shall go home and remain yours in spinsterhood. It is a perfect ending to a
story.”

Suki stood up immediately after she did. “And where do you think you are going?”

“I am going home and will likely take Fen and travel somewhere exotic where I may, I do not
know, become a governess or some such thing. Surely, I will only seek to do things that are not
required of a woman in society.”

“You are not going anywhere,” Suki told her, grabbing her wrist and pulling her back into the seat
she had been in moments ago. Toph gritted her teeth as she shot a glare at Suki, who continued,
“He is going to come, yes? And you will have your wedding, no matter how much you wish to
claim that you do not want it.”

At that, Katara crouched in front of Toph, taking both her hands. “I said that he was found being an
absolute nitwit in front of the bar; I never said that he was not going to show up. He is just nervous.
This wedding must happen, and he knows that just as much as you or I or even our parents do.”

That is exactly what it was, however. He knew that it had to happen, it was not as though he
wanted to marry her. He did not wish for this to happen. He wanted to fulfill his obligation. There
was nothing more to it. None of it had to do with any love he had for her. None of it.

Despite the fact that she already knew what the circumstances were, her throat tightened and she
closed her eyes to avoid the tears that were threatening to well up. She would not cry over this.
Over him.

Toph took a deep breath and in her calmest voice, told her friends, “I am going to wait fifteen
minutes, not a second more. If he is not here by then, I am calling it off and moving the very ends
of the earth where not even you two would think to find me.”

“Fair enough,” Katara relented, giving Toph’s hands a reassuring squeeze.

“But until then,” Suki remarked, “we are to watch you like a hawk and ensure that you do not do
anything absurd like jump out the window over there.”

Regardless of how she felt, Toph had to genuinely laugh at that. She was grateful that Suki and
Katara had the sense to tell her what was going on with Sokka. Though it was obvious that a large
part of their motivation to do so was that Toph would have figured out something was going on if
they kept it from her, she knew that they were looking out for her interests. Normally, Toph would
have swatted them away, but she felt as though she needed to lean on them today.

They sat in a comfortable silence until Suki asked, “Did you invite Azula to your wedding?”

Toph nodded, Aang in mind. “I did, yes. I figured it was due time for her to be around us all again.
Why?”

“I was just wondering. No one has seen her in ages and she just shows up here and starts
conversing with Aang of all people. It is just odd, is all.”

Katara gave Toph a discreet, knowing nudge with her elbow and the latter had to suppress the
laugh that was threatening to escape her mouth. When she had arrived at the temple, Toph noticed
who was making their arrivals—she immediately found the locations of Aang and Azula, who had
made it to their seats together and had not parted since.

Good for them.

Just around fifteen minutes passed and Toph was about ready to stand up and leave, not wanting to
look back, but that was just when Zuko barged into the room breathlessly. He startled both Katara
and Suki while Toph only rolled her eyes.

“Let us get you down the aisle, then, yes?”

“What would be the consequences of me strangling Sokka when I reach the altar?” Toph asked her
friends before they forced her to her feet.

Katara was standing behind her as they made their way out of the preparation quarters, likely to
ensure that she did not run off. “Though I would not mind if you did publicly strangle my idiot
brother, I do believe that the outcome will be quite grave.”

Toph was not even pretending to be the blushing bride at the reception as people congratulated her
on her nuptials and her future title because she was too busy thinking about how Sokka was still
drunk when he kissed her at the archbishop’s indication.

It had been both the saddest and most frustrating kiss that the two of them had shared.

The fact that Toph was able to clearly smell the alcohol that he had supposedly managed to bathe
away earlier as her father gave her away both angered her and shocked her. The Sokka that stood
before her then was not the Sokka she had come to know and… fall in love with. For as long as she
had known him, he spent his time saying that he would not be found using alcohol to solve his
problems. He was doing exactly that which he spent his adulthood criticizing—a man who
drowned all his woes in alcohol and regret.

There was nothing Toph wanted more in the world than to forget about this day; the only part that
made it slightly worth it was the little things.

Before the ceremony had officially begun, Zuko pulled her into a reluctant hug, kissed her cheek,
and told her to not kill Sokka, at least until after the wedding. She told him that she would not be
making promises she could not keep and he laughed, affectionately nudging her arm and wishing
her luck.

Likewise, she recalled the way her father showed her a shred of affection for what was likely the
first time in her life. He squeezed her hand and kissed her cheek as he gave his daughter away; she
could have sworn that she heard him sniffle a little.

There was also Katara, who stood directly next to her and though she did not say anything
throughout the ceremony, Toph knew that she was quietly there for her just as she had always
been.

She also remembered how her heart found comfort in the way Suki was the first person to stand up
and inelegantly shout her congratulations when the archbishop pronounced Sokka and Toph as
man and wife.

And she allowed a short laugh when she noticed how Aang shoved Suki for being so loud inside a
scared Earth Kingdom temple and the way Azula stood by him, shaking her head at his -isms.

Those moments and those moments alone were the ones that made her hate her wedding day a little
less.

Still, she rather thought that she did hate it quite a bit, all thanks to the groom.

Her husband.

Involuntarily, Toph shivered uncomfortably at the thought of the fact. Sokka was now her husband
and she, his wife; she loved him and he did not.

They were sure to be such a joyous couple.

The entire rest of the morning, which quickly turned to afternoon, from the moment they left the
temple and they shared the quietest and most uncomfortable carriage ride of her life, Toph had
been avoiding him. Sokka had been silent the entire ride as he was essentially unconscious, so it
made things a little better for her.

Zuko and Katara had helped matters when they arrived at Beifong House for the reception, too.
The fire lord had managed to get Sokka into the kitchens to eat charcoal and oil and drink some tea
to coax the inebriation out of him. Within the hour, Sokka was as good as new, charmingly greeting
guests, pretending that there was nothing amiss when, in fact, everything was.

Meanwhile, Katara was working overtime to help keep him away from her because she knew that
Toph would much rather be alone at that moment than have to feign that everything was perfectly
fine between them. She had feigned enough recently to last her twenty lifetimes.

Toph spent the reception after the brunch defeatedly leaning back against the wall behind her,
pulling at her slipping gloves and twisting around the new ring on her left fourth finger. Moments
prior, she had mingled with Iroh and exchanged some words with Satoru, who to her surprise, had
made a brief appearance to offer felicitations on her nuptials before rushing off to catch a boat to
the Fire Nation. Toph was quite happy that there was no ill will between them, and was happy
when he called her a friend as he parted in haste, giving her a genuine word of congratulations.

The conversations served as a minute distraction at the very least, but they were much appreciated
considering the circumstances.

She let herself wind down as she sipped at her barely-touched glass of baijiu, relishing in the slight
burn that ran down her throat, but it was not long until Azula approached her and mimicked her
position.

“Married.”

“And in hell,” Toph muttered bitterly into her glass.

“Oh, do not think of it that way,” Azula cooed, then leaned into Toph’s ear. “You should be quite
happy that you and Water Tribe no longer have to escape to carriages in order to screw.”

That did it for Toph, so she shoved her glass into Azula’s hand and pushed herself off the wall. But
before she left, she turned to her and whispered, “Be careful next time you run off to the servants’
quarters of any household with Aang. Some people might catch on.”

Azula gaped at the back of Toph’s head and stammered for a bit as the latter walked away with a
smirk on her face.

“Toph Beifong, you get back here this instant! I demand it!”

“Have a good afternoon, princess.”

With her smirk widening as she made for the refreshments table for another drink, Toph waved a
hand at Azula dismissively, thinking back to when she noticed her pulling Aang away and into the
lower level of Beifong House when the drinks were being passed around not even an hour prior.
No one had noticed them, of course, except for Toph.

It was yet another moment that made Toph hate her wedding day a little less.

She was back to hating it, however, when her mother and Malina ushered both Sokka and Toph in
the direction of the table that contained the wedding cake as they, along with Lao and Hakoda,
were to make a toast to congratulate the supposedly happy bride and groom.

They stood side by side and Toph could feel Sokka’s longing stare raking all over her. The hairs all
over her body prickled with awareness and she attempted to remain ever so stoic as she kept herself
focused on not seeming absolutely furious and unsettled and despondent.

All of the words said during the yam seng went in through one ear and out the other. It was not
until she heard everyone shout a gleeful “hear hear” that she brought herself back to the moment
and swallowed the liquid in her glass in one gulp without even turning over to clink it with Sokka’s.

Not even minutes later, they were told that the carriage had arrived to take them to their new estate.
She said her goodbyes, as did he, and they went on their merry way.

It dawned upon her only then that they had not been alone together since she fled out of Katara’s
bedroom after they laid together. It was also their first time in a carriage since her life began to
change in its entirety.

Had she wanted to speak with him, or had she been on better terms with him, she would have made
a joke about it.

It took him longer than she had bargained for him to attempt to talk to her. About five minutes into
the ride Sokka started, “Toph, I am so —”

“I do hope that the next word out of your mouth is not synonymous with an apology because I do
not want it nor do I need it. I have no use for it. So you can either finish that sentence and find out
what my reaction will be or you can remain silent.”

The rest of the journey—fifteen minutes or so—was filled with uncomfortable tension between
them and she had been close to opening the door to jump out and save herself from the misery that
awaited her in the new estate.

The house—her house—was huge. She was given a speedy tour by one of the footmen, Haitao,
before he left the residence for the day to give the couple privacy, and she was quite impressed by
the home. Her quarters had been prepared just to her liking, something she had Fen to thank for,
and was happy that she had the opportunity to be secluded in her own chamber for the rest of the
day.

She was also quite happy that there had not been much time to plan a honeymoon trip. That would
have been a nightmare, to be sure.

The fact that she was alone in her new bedchamber with all the things she held dear brought her
some type of solace, but all she was able to note, all she could sense, however—even from feet
away—was him. The way he paced around the room five doors down from hers, the way he would
cease his pacing and make for the door but stop before beginning to pace again.

It was making her dizzy.

And she had had just about enough of this nonsense.

In a split-second decision, Toph stood up from her bed, whipped open her bedroom door, and
stomped over to the room Sokka was in. She burst in without so much as knocking and she noticed
how startled he was by the way his heart was beating.

“Toph—”

“I thought us friends, Sokka.” Toph started, her hands balled into fists at her sides. “Even after
everything that—that has passed between us, I believed us to be the very best of friends and despite
how much I did not want to, I still trusted you. And then you go and decide to drink yourself dead
outside the busiest club in all of Gaoling. Do you know what that does to your family’s image? My
family’s image? For people to have seen you so miserable the evening prior to your wedding? You
say you wished to protect my reputation when my father put marriage on the table, yes? That was
not the best show of it—”

“Please,” Sokka interrupted irately. He actually had the audacity of sounding angry with her in
spite of his distress. “This has nothing to do with concern for your reputation or mine, Toph.”

Toph scoffed at him. “Pray tell, then. What has it to do with? You seem to know all.”

“It has all to do with you not wanting to receive what I am trying to give you and show you; what
you know but do not have the grit to accept.”

Bewildered at his attitude, especially considering his behavior in the morning, Toph herself began
to pace around the room for a moment, trying to find the proper words to convey her distaste for
the man standing before her.

Instead, she asked, “What do I not have the grit to accept, you bastard? How dare you?”

“You cannot stand to believe that this ”—he gesticulated harshly between the two of them— “what
we have, is real in every possible way.”
Toph quieted, her chest heaving, rendered absolutely speechless at that. She began shaking her
head, but before she was able to come up with something, anything to respond to him with, he
spoke again after some minutes, his voice softer.

“You are the only thing that matters to me right now and to think that I have ruined your life
because of the decision that I made to—to compromise you in that carriage… it destroyed me. And
what happened at the engagement party… I am positive that it made matters worse for you, but I
do not regret a thing. I regret nothing, Toph, do you understand that?

“Still,” he said quietly yet intensely, “none of it is an excuse for my behavior this morning, but that
is why—that is why I did what I did. And—and you deserved a proper explanation…”

Her feet were planted firmly on the ground, but she did not wish to analyze the pattern of his
heartbeat. It was too much to know whether or not he told her the truth, and she suspected that he
did not.

Toph turned on her heel as she felt the tears stinging in her eyes and made to exit the room, but his
booming voice stopped her.

“Would you just—wait!” he clamored, grabbing her wrist before she could reach the doorknob.
“Spirits, do you not understand that I am trying to tell you that I love you, Toph?”

Toph stopped moving, stopped breathing at his words. But then she shook her head, resigned to
believe that he was only saying words that he did not mean as she pulled her arm out of his grip and
turned toward him.

“Sokka, you do not love me. Do not say such things. You are convincing yourself that you do. You
regard me just as you do your sister. This union was made out of duty, out of commitment. No
other reason.” She breathed, not daring to rely on her senses in order to remain ignorant to the truth
—that he did not love her the way she loved him. She should not have cared, but she did. Tears
continued to gather in her eyes but she tried her best to blink them away, flailing her arms around as
she exclaimed, “You all but drank yourself into oblivion last night to avoid being fully present at
the wedding!”

“Are you truly that thickheaded? I have just told you—” He groaned. “Have you not taken note of
how I have been acting toward you as of late? I have done everything short of outright getting
down on my knees to profess my love to you!”

“Oh, do not be ridiculous—”

“By the Spirits, Toph, you are impossible .” He began to pace manically around the room again.
He stopped before she was able to say anything, taking a shaky breath, and stood directly in front
of her. “I am well aware that the idea of all of this scares the living demons out of you, I know, but
you must understand that I love you and I would do absolutely anything for you, even pretend that I
am not dying every second you and I are apart.”

He stepped toward her when she gave him no response and he reluctantly took her hand to place it
upon his chest, his own covering hers. “I swear it.”

The intimacy of the gesture made her nervous despite everything. But she still sighed and focused
on the thump of his heart beneath their hands, the same thump she allowed herself to feel through
the ground. It was steady and constant and unwavering. It was truthful.

She could not believe it. There was truth in his words. He was telling her the truth.
He loved her.

“Toph—”

“Say it again.”

His free hand hesitantly went up to her cheek, his thumb gently stroking her skin. “I love you.”

“Again.”

“I love you, Toph.”

“Fuck, Sokka.” Her voice was barely above a whisper, Toph’s hands went up to brush his features,
to see him, and the tears she had been holding back began to roll down her cheeks without her
permission. “I love you too.”

She felt a single tear brush her thumb as it trailed down his face. He shook his head. “You do not
have to say it because I said it.”

Toph moved a hand off his face to bend a small platform beneath her feet to bring herself to his
height and touch her lips to his. “I know.”

It was a tender, tentative kiss. One that the two of them had not yet shared. Their previous kisses
had been intense and hasty and passionate and desperate… but this one… it was unlike those
entirely. She could feel it from the top of her head to the tips of her toes. There was heat swirling
around in her stomach and chest and everywhere he touched her. This kiss was languid and
exploratory, but so very full of the affection she now knew they shared for one another.

It was incredible.

Sokka’s hands moved to her braid and quickly undid it, then tangled his hands in her hair as she
wrapped her arms around his neck and melted further into the kiss. His mouth was warm as her
tongue explored it, her hands sliding down his neck to clutch his collar in her fists.

One of them pulled away after a while and she was almost certain that she had not been the one to
do so. It was too wonderful a kiss to want to end. And she wanted more. More of this, more of him.

His forehead rested against hers. “Do you still want us to be married only in name?”

She tightly closed her eyes, snickered, and kissed him again. “Hush, you.”

What happened next was most natural. Sokka lifted her up into his arms and her legs automatically
wrapped around his torso as he carried her off to the large, four-poster bed a few paces beside them
and gently sat her down. He touched her face reverently with the backs of his fingers before gliding
them down her neck to the delicate skin that protruded from the edge of her gown’s bodice.

“I know that you do not care much about these things,” Sokka said, sitting beside her and pressing
a lazy kiss to the corner of her mouth, “but you look beautiful in your wedding dress.”

She beamed at him. “You do not look too bad yourself.”

“Funny,” he mumbled. “We were not talking about me, however.”

“Oh, many apologies.”

He began to toy with the top button of her dress. “Have you been told that you look even better
without your dress?”

“I do not believe I have been, no.”

“Shame, that. I am sure it is true.”

At that, he quickly undid over a third of the row of buttons at the back of her dress, and the silky
fabric was now loose enough to slide over her breasts. He did so agonizingly slowly and the dress
pooled around her waist, leaving her in her chemise before he nearly rid her of that, too.

Then everything seemed to happen at once. His hands were ubiquitous, his lips teasing and
devouring hers as he laid her down on the mattress. His hands began to slide under her hips to tug
the garments out from beneath her. By now, she was just wearing her stockings, garters, and
drawers; perfectly nude in comparison to him and she found no fairness in the fact.

Sokka kissed her again, and she lifted her hands to begin to undo the buttons of his changshan.
Toph moved it off of him, happy to feel his chest flush against hers.

“I want—I want to feel you,” Toph breathlessly admitted into his mouth. “You are wearing far too
much.”

He chuckled darkly and teasingly replied, “Now, now. What of that neutral jing you always used to
brag about, hm? Practice your patience; I shall know when to strike.”

She had intended to curse his name as his head dipped into her bosom, but she ended up moaning it
instead.

Sokka told her to lift her leg. She did, and he rolled one of her silk stockings all the way down to
her toes with a slowness that was lovely and excruciating at the same time. The other quickly
followed, then her drawers.

The closeness of all of this made Toph gasp despite having been with him so intimately before. She
relished every second because this was the first time they were together after they uttered their
vows and after they declared their love for one another.

His warmth left her for a moment as he quickly stripped himself bare and laid next to her, pulling
her into his body, leaving every corner of her untouched before he took her again.

And again.

And again…

They had quite a bit of time to make up for.

They spent the entirety of what remained of the day as well as the entire evening sequestered in
Sokka’s bedchamber. In their bedchamber, rather, as he made abundantly clear when she
mentioned that she did not much desire moving to fetch her nightgown. Something else he also
made abundantly clear was that she would not need the nightgown as it would have been stripped
off of her immediately after she put it on.

She could not very well argue with that logic.

Toph was lying quietly on his chest, running her fingers up and down his sternum as he combed
through her hair with his right hand and toyed with the badgermole charm on her necklace with the
 other when he broke their comfortable, blissful silence.

“Toph?”

“Mm?”

“Did you ever open those letters I sent you?” Sokka asked carefully, ceasing the movement of his
fingers to take her hand in his. “You know… after I said what I said?”

“Oh, do you mean after you declared me unmarriageable to our friends?” she asked sardonically,
knowing exactly what he was referring to. What she remembered most about the letters was the
fact that she had told Fen to burn them. The fact that Sokka had said what he said also prevailed in
her mind, though she now knew that he was only denying his feelings just as she had been.

“I—yes. Precisely. Which I am still sorry for, by the way.”

She laughed and kissed his chest before lying back down against it, enjoying how quickly-paced
his heartbeat was. “I never opened them, no. Why do you ask after them now?”

“I ask because if you had had one of them read to you, you would have known then that I adore
you, Toph Beifong.” His finger gently nudged her chin so that he could see her face. Then, his
hand fell on her cheek and she closed her eyes at his touch. “I poured my heart out into those letters
without even realizing that I had until just recently as I thought back on them.”

Her own heartbeat quickened at his words this time, and her stomach knotted up. Toph shifted
slightly to touch her lips to his. “I shall have to get you to read them to me soon, then.”

Sokka took her into her arms and deepened the kiss, making her insides feel like absolute mush.

If this was love, she was going to hold onto it with both hands and never let it go.

Chapter End Notes

took em long enough gdi

only uphill from here!… i think...

—
and quick thing! this fic takes place in regency so I want all drama to be upped, and
certain things that happened in this chapter—such as sokka getting ~drunk~ and
showing up ~drunk~ to the wedding—were done to show exactly that. Sokka’s
dumbassery is all a part of this, but I didn’t want to drag all of that out, so toph
forgiving him so quickly comes from her feelings for him in case it wasn’t evident
lmao.

I also literally took inspo from episode 1x05 of Bridgerton on Netflix if y’all want to
see the way I envisioned Zuko finding Sokka at the bar LOL

anyway, I hope you enjoyed!!!

 Chapter 19
Chapter Notes

murry crisis <3

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Once Toph and Sokka had emerged from their seclusion after three days, he took it upon himself to
take her on a more proper tour of their new estate than what she was given upon their arrival. He
apologized for not consulting her about the purchase beforehand, but they were not exactly on
speaking terms when he had come upon it. She insisted that she did not mind because all that
mattered was that the house did not have hardwood floors.

And truly, the house was wonderful.

It was large but not as large as Beifong House, which felt too large and subsequently empty at
times. Toph and Sokka’s home—which still needed a name, perhaps a combination of both his and
her surnames—felt ideal for them. It had just enough bedrooms for their friends and family
members to take residence in during stays, several drawing rooms, and if Toph or Sokka ever
needed time apart from each other—time that she would eventually require because she liked her
occasional time alone—there was enough space to accommodate that.

Sokka also introduced her to the servants and staff once they came out of their post-marital bliss.
She recognized his valet Yin, the footman Haitao, and Fen, of course—who was regarding Toph
far too knowingly for her liking—but the rest of the staff was new to her, so she quickly acquainted
herself with them and managed to make a few of them laugh with her crudely funny comments
about having to tend to the people likely keeping them up at night.

Sokka and Toph’s weekend was also quite… pleasurable.

The newlyweds shared many a night of passion that they had missed out on throughout the years of
their misinterpreted feelings. Had Toph known that this was what marriage to him was going to be
like, she would have damn well suggested the wedding take place herself in the first place.

But then again, she had been living so blissfully in her denial that she would not have done so even
if she had wanted to.

They supposed that they should have been a bit embarrassed to not have left their bedchamber for
just short of seventy-two hours, but they were not. At least Toph was not, and from what she could
tell, neither was Sokka.

Neither of them had even made a halfhearted attempt to leave the comfort of each other’s arms,
only to clean or relieve themselves. If it was not for a family gathering that they had to attend three
days after their wedding, they would have likely remained secluded for longer than they had.

Toph did not say that things were perfect very often because they never truly were, but this felt the
closest to it than anything she had ever encountered.

Her only issue now was that they had to leave the comfort of their home to visit with their family.
“We do not truly have to go, do we?” Toph asked him as he slowly retied the knot on the hanfu that
she had put on moments ago only for him to immediately strip her bare of it. “It is a silly tradition,
anyhow. It only serves as a way to remind the bride that she is… a wife .”

Sokka laughed at her and grabbed her face in his hands before pressing his lips to hers. “You say
that as if it was a bad thing.”

“That is because it is .”

“Being a wife did not seem so grievous to you a few moments ago, nor these past few days…”

Toph felt her cheeks warm up at that. She pompously smacked his hands away from her and
crossed her arms over her chest. “I did not ask you to supply a comment, did I?”

“No—”

“Exactly, now hush and tell me that we do not have to go to this ridiculous affair.”

“I would,” he grabbed her hands and kissed each palm, “but then, I would be lying.”

Toph rolled her eyes at him and huffed, slightly frustrated that he was not as against going to this
breakfast as she was. “Well, I know that, obviously, but I can choose to believe you if I wanted to.”

“Fair enough, but we still must go or your father may want to challenge me to a duel.”

“Oh, please. If he did, you would beat him.”

Sokka gaped at her. “Did you truly just say that?”

“What? I am saying nothing short of the truth. Just like I am saying that there is nothing to lose
here by not going.”

“We are going.” He kissed her with finality and half-jogged out of the room. “Come along now,
wife .”

Toph grumbled annoyedly at her new monicker, grabbed her reticule, and followed Sokka out of
their bedchamber. But not before making the ground shake beneath their feet, leading to him falling
down the stairs, step by step.

When she reached him, she gave him a smug, playful kick. “We will be late if you continue to
lounge around, my love .”

He scrambled up, grabbed her hand laughingly, and they were on their way. The carriage ride was
not too long, mostly because they spent their time in each other’s arms, trying hard to not recreate
their first wanton encounter. She was happily locked in his embrace until the moment the
coachman stopped in front of Beifong House.

Bingwen was the one to greet them, much to Toph’s satisfaction. She had missed him in the three
days that she had been gone. He was her favorite footman, and her parents were lucky enough to be
able to keep him with them, though they did not seem to know how lucky they truly were.

She told him that she would see about poaching him for her new residence, and though he
dismissed it, she knew that he was happy that she even offered. In all earnestness, she had been
serious. She truly wanted him to accompany her, but he had insisted that he belonged in Beifong
House.
That did not mean that she would stop trying.

Along with that, the meal was not as excruciatingly painful as she expected it to be. Katara and
Zuko were there, along with Malina and Hakoda. Toph was surprised to know that her best friend
would be present because the tradition was for the parents of the bride to have the newlyweds over
for breakfast three days after the wedding. It was a pleasant surprise indeed that Toph was able to
spend some time with her best friend turned sister-in-law.

The parents proposed a toast at the end of the meal, once again wishing the happy couple a
beautiful and prosperous marriage as Toph resisted the urge to roll her eyes at the fanfare.

Still, she found herself feeling at ease, even amid her mother’s waterworks and her father’s
sternness. The very last thing she expected was to feel this way after she wed, but she also did not
expect to be so blissfully in love with… her husband. It was truly hard to believe that she had
managed to make it down the aisle at all and she was certain that it would take her weeks, months,
or even years to become accustomed to the idea.

Minutes after, in her old bedchamber, Toph and Katara lay on the ground, their heads directly next
to each other.

“You look happy,” Katara said suddenly, breaking the silence between them.

“Do I?”

“You sure do.” She propped herself up on an arm and poked Toph’s cheek. “In fact, I do not
believe I have ever seen you this happy.”

Toph rolled her eyes as she tried yet failed to bite back a smile. “Do not gloat. I know that voice too
well and I know that you are wanting to gloat.”

“Me? Never.”

“Sure, Sugar Queen.”

“Honestly! I am simply happy that you are happy. I have never wanted anything less for you… I
only care about your happiness,” Katara explained. Then she sighed, laying back down on Toph’s
stomach. “I never thought you would marry—I always hoped you would, but I never really thought
it would happen.”

Toph let out a wry laugh. “I certainly did not, either. Especially not to your brother of all people.”

“Precisely. You were content as you were and that was fine. But it brings me relief that you will
have someone with you—someone who loves you until the ends of the earth, probably—to be your
partner in life. Not in crime because I hold that title quite proudly.”

“Oh, but of course.”

Katara shifted a bit to take Toph’s hand and squeezed it. “All of this to say, once more, that I am so
very happy that you are happy. You deserve nothing less, dear friend.”

Toph squeezed Katara’s hand back in acknowledgment. While Toph was quite happy with the way
things turned out with Sokka, she was still a bit frazzled over the fact that she was actually married.
She had responsibilities now, duties that she would be expected to fulfill, and that she was not sure
whether she would want to fulfill.
In some years, hopefully in the far future, she would become the viscountess of a nation she had
not once visited, which she would also want to avoid at all costs because of the freezing cold
weather. Though, she countered, she would likely still want to visit because she would wish to see
where Sokka grew up.

Yet, there was so much change to endure, and she did not know whether she was ready for it or not.

Before she was able to ponder upon the fact any more, she felt the approaching steps of their male
companions.

“Good afternoon, ladies!” Sokka shouted gleefully.

Katara lifted her head up to find her brother and Zuko walking into the bedroom. Toph’s heart did
a little flip at the sound of Sokka’s voice; she hated the sensation more than anything and she hated
even more that she had just realized that she had been feeling those flips for years but had refused
to acknowledge them.

She huffed and thought, Love.

Sokka let out a loud groan as he sunk down to his knees to press a kiss on Toph’s forehead before
throwing himself onto her former bed. “Have you two seriously not ordered food?”

“Why would we?” Toph snorted.

Katara said, “Right. We all had a five-course breakfast not even two hours ago and you are already
scavenging for food?”

Zuko sat on the ground and Katara immediately moved over to lay her head on his lap as he added,
“He is a scoundrel.”

“Indeed!” exclaimed Toph with a shit-eating grin on her face. “What a lovely way to describe him.
Could not have said it any better myself.”

“Oh,” Sokka grunted. “You all wound me. Especially you, wife .”

As if possessed, Toph sat straight up and bent the bracelet off her arm and into a sharp point. “Call
me that one more time.”

“It is what you are! You must come to accept it someday.”

“And that day, Snoozles, is not today.”

Sokka sighed dramatically. “I apologize for sounding redundant, but you wound me .”

“What a tragic life you live,” Toph replied with an eye roll as she crossed her legs at her ankles and
leaned back on her hands after settling her rock back onto her arm.

Zuko snorted. Frankly, Toph had forgotten that he and Katara were in the room for a moment as
she bickered with Sokka. He said, “It is a wonder it took you two so long to get married. We have
been experiencing lovers’ quarrels like these for years .”

At the same time, Sokka and Toph began to protest, saying phrases such as “untrue,” and “I would
not say that it was years” before they both pursed their lips and quieted at the sound of Katara and
Zuko’s laughs at them.

“I do not understand how it took me so long to put the pieces together,” Katara said laughingly. “I
also do not understand how a woman like Toph could ever end up with my idiot brother.”

“That is because, unlike you, my wife has taste,” Sokka pipped up, sliding off the bed to lay his
head on Toph’s thigh. Her hand automatically went to his hair. “As opposed to you, who ended up
with the biggest rake across the four nations. Imagine that.”

Katara sat up to press a kiss to her husband’s lips, making Sokka groan as she said, “Mama used to
always say that reformed rakes make the best husbands…”

“Ah!” Zuko exclaimed at that, leaning over to give Sokka a friendly and ironic pat on his shoulder.
“Perhaps you shall make a good husband to Toph, in that case, Sokka! I was worried for a moment
there.”

Everyone began to laugh hysterically as Sokka sat up with a grimace. “I do not find any of this
remotely funny.”

It felt good to be like this, so content and tranquil after the great amount of stress and tension Toph
had braved recently. Hearing the laughs of her friends amid her own reminded her of how
wonderful the feeling was.

As the laughs died down and Sokka’s head returned to Toph’s thigh, he asked, “What do you think
Mama would think of all of this? Us… settling down, being happy and— and in love?”

Toph’s eyebrows knitted together in concern ever so slightly. She had heard Sokka and Katara
speak of Lady Kya before, though she knew more about the late, former viscountess from Katara,
but not as much as she would have liked. She never pushed them for information, of course,
because none of it was her business nor did she want to pry for information that did not pertain to
her, but that did not mean that she did not care about what made her friends the saddest.

She could remember plenty of times during which Katara had spent hours crying to her in her
bedchamber about how much she wished her mother could be with her and Sokka.

Toph could remember her being a mess on her wedding day, in particular. It was difficult for Toph
to be able to properly console her best friend, but she did what she could, telling her that she knew,
despite never having met her, Lady Kya was going to be right next to her every step of the way,
that she would watch over her from wherever she was. She had managed to calm Katara down
enough to make it to the altar, though it was so very difficult for Toph to hear her friend be so
totally broken at the fact that her mother was not there with her.

But Toph could only remember one instance in which Sokka had spoken about Lady Kya. Only
once.

They had just finished one of their infamous spars at Zuko and Katara’s residence about five years
earlier, Toph having been crowned the victor against all of her friends once more. Sokka was
sprawled out on the ground, boomerang in hand, next to her as she picked all kinds of things out of
the in-betweens of her toes when he mentioned his mother to her for the first and last time.

“Did you know that my mother gifted me this?”

Toph furrowed her brows, his words making her pause what she was doing. “Gifted you what?”

“My mother—she gave me this boomerang,” he had told her, running his finger over the sharp
edges of the weapon. “In the tribe, it is customary for the first son’s father to gift him a boomerang
at a young age, but my mama insisted that she gift it to me. Of course”—he laughed—“my father
did not put up a fight because no one would dare cross the viscountess, not even the viscount
himself. He was— he was too in love with her to ever go against her.

“But it is true. Papa told me that she designed it herself and that he did the forging and all of the
gritty things…” he continued, heaving a shaky sigh and sitting up, holding the weapon out for
Toph to take. As she did, feeling the cool metal in her hands, he said, “It was already a meaningful
gift, but the mere fact that she— she did this for me, knowing that it would be my weapon of
choice for the rest of my life… it means so much.”

As she listened, Toph wondered why he was telling her this. She had not asked and she truly was
not one to share her personal feelings or listen to the woes of others if she could help it—Katara
was the narrowest exception. So why would he choose to tell her this unprompted? She did not
mind, of course, but not knowing the reason behind it slightly bothered her.

Still, she did not mind listening to him then. And subsequently, wondered why she never heard
about Lady Kya from Sokka again after that.

Toph constantly wondered why that was—perhaps he simply could not find it in him to think
about her without breaking down. It was a reasonable enough explanation.

Now that they had the time, more than enough of it, she was going to make it a priority to ask him
about it, even if she was not one to ever want to have deep, emotional conversations. This was
important.

“Mama would be proud,” Katara told Sokka, her voice wavering slightly. Then she sniffled and
nudged Toph’s hip with her foot. “And she would have loved you, Toph.”

“Oh, and I suppose that I am chopped liver,” Zuko said jokingly, clearly attempting to break
through the very emotional air in the room.

It worked.

Katara let out a watery laugh, kissing the palm of his hand. “She would have adored you, too, my
love.”

With Zuko and Katara in their own world for a few moments, Sokka sat up and leaned toward
Toph, just brushing over her lips. “I agree. Mama would have loved you. Almost as much as I do.”

Toph had heard as much from Katara many times before, including this instance, but to hear it
from Sokka filled her with some flaming sense of pride. She had to fight hard to bite back a smile
that was threatening to spread across her face.

“Of course she would have. It is much too difficult to not love me.”

“That is something I completely agree with as well.” And he kissed her.

She detested that she loved that her heart flipped again.

Three nights later, Toph was laying in bed in Sokka’s arms. She had her back snuggled into his
front as he trailed his hand up and down her arm soothingly.

It had just started to rain, which was fortunate because the two of them found themselves
exhausted from the week’s activities, and the sound of the rain was somehow tiring them more.

The question of why he seldom spoke of his mother floated around in her head from the moment
they left Beifong House after their brunch. Normally, this was the type of issue that she would not
want to get involved in—too many emotions, so little patience in her case. But now that she is with
him, married to him, knowing and realizing that he did not speak about Lady Kya, she found
herself increasingly curious and concerned as to the reason.

Presumably, Sokka was suppressing his thoughts and feelings about his mother to avoid facing
them; she should know, considering how much suppressing she had had to do throughout her life.
With the parents she had, she found herself refraining from telling them how hurt she truly felt by
them not showing her any kind of affection as she grew older. Of course, losing a parent was in no
way similar to lacking the show of love from one, but it was something that she could recognize—
the suppression of it all.

Sokka’s breathing had slowed and steadied a bit ago and the movement of his hand against her skin
had ceased. She knew that he had fallen asleep, so Toph twisted around in his arms so that she was
facing him. With a small, wicked smile on her face, she flicked his nose with her index finger,
causing him to jerk awake with a startled snort.

“Do you truly,” he rubbed his eye with the hand she wasn’t lying on, “have nothing better to do?”

“I am afraid not. It is raining and I have no desire to walk about the house or leave this bed, so
accosting you it is.”

He pressed a kiss to the side of her head—a most natural gesture. “I was having a very nice dream
until you interrupted my sweet slumber, I shall have you know.”

“Oh, pity. Dreams are so very hard to come across during one’s slumber.”

“They are, indeed, which explains why I find myself peeved.” He teased, pulling Toph closer to
him and tucking some of her hair behind her ear.

“Mm, and what was it about?”

“No, no. Telling you is against the rules of dreams, did you not know?”

Toph grunted, leaning her forehead against his chest. “Well, now I am far beyond curious. Was I in
it? I must have been.”

She felt the vibration of his laugh in his chest as she heard it, the sound bringing a pathetic smile to
her face. When would the bliss of being with the man she loved end? She hoped it was soon
because she could not very well stand all the physical reactions she was catching herself having.

Still, she loved simply being with him, so that was not entirely true.

“You were in it, indeed.”

There was some quiet as she anticipated what he would say next, but when he said nothing, she
groaned. “Is that all you are willing to give me? When I am asking so nicely?”

“Very well, very well,” Sokka said, brushing some hair off her forehead. “I suppose that the
conversation we were having after brunch brought upon a dream involving my mama meeting you.
It was… it was lovely.”

This was her opportunity to ask him more about her; about why he does not often speak of his
mother. She cleared her throat, and wanting to keep the comedic air the conversation had moments
ago, she asked, “And did she approve of our, um, union?”
“Our marriage you mean? Of you being my wife and I, your husband? Is that what you are
meaning to ask?”

She twisted the hair on his chest in her fingers and pulled until he yelped. “You know very well
what I mean, now answer the question, dunderhead.”

“She did,” he told her with a soft laugh. “And I know for a fact that she would have if she was— if
she was still alive.”

“Why do you not speak about your mother?”

Toph wanted to very much smack herself in the head for asking so abruptly. She did not even let
him ease into the conversation before outright asking him. This was the very reason why Toph
attempted always to stay away from emotionally driven conversations such as this one, but it
needed to be had. She was to spend the rest of her life with this man and this was something she
must know.

And she had been mentally preparing herself to have the conversation come hell or high water all
day, anyway, so she was damn well going to sit through it, uncomfortable as it might be.

“What?”

“I only mean to ask if— if there is a reason why you do not talk about her? You do not speak of her
often, is all… and I wonder if you… know why that… is…”

Sokka tried to resist the snort he emitted to no avail. “Was that troubling for you ask?”

“Very much, yes, which is why you must answer the question before I end up having some sort of
emotional overload.”

The bed creaked a bit as he readjusted himself against the headboard and allowed her to reposition
herself next to him as well. She cuddled into his chest again, this time in a seated position. It took
him a few moments to gather his thoughts before he finally spoke again.

“There is no particular reason, I do not think… I simply— talking about her makes me— it makes
me want her around again and knowing that it is obviously not a possibility just— it is too much to
bear at times. It is easier to not think or talk about her sometimes…

“For Katara, I think it is more effortless to do just that because it is how she copes, but I cannot. It
is just too difficult.”

As much as Toph did not get along with her parents a lot of the time—her father, for the most part
—she could not imagine having lost them to the yellow fever of all things at the ages of nine or ten
like Sokka and Katara lost Lady Kya.

From what Katara had told her throughout the years, Toph knew that they had lost her during a
particularly difficult time politically for the Southern Water Tribe. They were in the middle of
settling issues with their northern sister tribe when the yellow fever epidemic began to spread.
Healers in the community knew not how to begin to cure the virus and by the time they began to
find solutions to treat it, Kya had died.

Katara said that their mother was boiling hot to the touch; she was flushed and sweating and
shivering, and this was all before she, Sokka, Lord Hakoda, and their grandmother were forced to
leave Lady Kya to quarantine. Her friend described how difficult it had been to see her mother that
way, how much she hoped and prayed that her mother would wake up the next morning
miraculously cured so she was able to hug her mother and tell her how much she loved her.

They waited in agony for weeks, Katara had told her, sitting outside of Lady Kya’s quarters as they
gave their mother a vivid description of the day and what they had learned from their governesses.
Lady Kya would do her absolute best to respond to them, weak as she was, until her very last day.

Toph lifted her hand to Sokka’s face to wipe a tear that had just fallen off his cheek. “You do not
have to say anything, I— I apologize for even asking in the first place—”

“No,” he said quickly, taking her hand and squeezing it reassuringly. “No, I must— I must talk
about this. I believe that I have been holding back on it for too long and it is one of the things that
is plaguing me the most, one of the things that makes it simple for me to become irrationally angry
about certain things and I do not want to be that way. You do not deserve that part of me any
longer as you have gotten more than enough of it since we have met.”

She nodded her head in understanding, remaining silent so that he may continue speaking. He said,
“She and I had a very close relationship—it, of course, paled in comparison to hers with Katara,
which is to be expected from every mother and daughter and did not bother me at all.

“Before she took ill, she would always take me out to the woods when my father was busy and
when Katara was off getting embroidery lessons from Gran-Gran. We would bundle up in our best
coats, she would pack up some hot stew for us, and we would take to the frozen lake in the middle
of the clearing. And we would sit and eat and chat about any and everything.” He sniffled. “It was
my very favorite part of the week. It is what I miss most, in fact, about her no longer being with us,
those times we used to spend alone.

“And Katara and I were so certain that she would make it through her illness, that she would be the
one case in the tribe that survived the fever, that when I found out she did not… I did not take it
very well, especially because I was not— I was not with her when she… I was not with her.”

Toph’s heart sunk at that. Katara had not told her this. Her hand squeezed his automatically and her
thumb began to run across the upside of his palm.

“I had gone—” he laughed dryly, bringing his hand up to his face to harshly wipe a tear away—“I
had gone fishing for our dinner so that I was able to show off to her that I had done it on my own,
without any help. I managed to gather my gear, set up the boat, and actually catch five decent fish.
Since she could not keep her solids down, I figured that she would benefit from one of Gran-Gran’s
infamous stews and that seeing me with a handful of fish hanging from my belt would fill her with
so much pride that it would perhaps rid her of her illness.

“Little did I know that she had already died… I saw— I saw Katara screaming manically as she
banged on the doors that would let her into mama’s room before she collapsed onto the ground in
tears. Once she saw me, she shouted about how— how they would not let her in to see her…

“I was numb. At that moment, I could not feel anything… not even when I myself collapsed onto
the ground next to Katara. It took us both a moment to embrace each other because we realized that
then, more than ever, we would need each other. And that is how it has been from then on. Katara
and I… we had always been close, but we— we grew even closer until I grew up and decided to…
run away from my problems,” Sokka told her, sniffling and trying to control his breathing as he
spoke.

“My travels helped pull me out of my sadness. It was one of the things mama and I spoke about,
traveling, so I figured that doing just that would be the best way for me to honor her memory. It
became more than that, eventually, but that was— that was my main purpose for setting off in the
 first place. It was the first time I had ever run away from something instead of facing it, and it
became something of a habit when I should have stayed with my family as an eldest son should
after a parent dies. I left them as soon as I was able to and did not look back for more than a year,
Toph.”

Sokka swallowed convulsively, hugging Toph more tightly into him as she felt some of his tears
fall against her face. Her own began to gather in her eyes and she brought the hand she was holding
of his to her mouth to press a number of watery kisses there.

She got out from under the covers at the sound of a thunderclap and climbed into his lap,
embracing him and letting him sob into her shoulder. To hear him so broken and pained caused her
to feel as such and she wanted nothing more than for him to no longer feel this way.

Her hand went to the back of his head. “I may have not ever known her, but I am so very certain
that she loved you with everything she had, Sokka, and she knows that you loved her so much. And
you cannot ever forget that.”

“I fear that she did not know how much I loved her,” he responded, barely even being able to get
the words out amid his sobs. “What if she did not know? Because I was not there when it
happened?”

“Do you trust me?”

“I—of course I do.”

“I do not know how all of this Spirit business works, or where people go when someone hops the
twig, but do trust me when I say that she knows, wherever she is, she knows very well how much
you loved her, and that she is so very proud of you for all that you have done and all of which you
have accomplished.”

Sokka hugged her closer to his chest, breathing her in, and she nuzzled her face into his neck,
pressing tender kisses to his skin as he cried himself out.

When he found it within himself to calm down, he loosened his grip around her, allowing her to
withdraw from his embrace, but before she could lay down next to him again, he grabbed her face
in his hands. “I know that I continue saying this, but she would have loved you, Toph.”

Toph’s hands went up to his face to trace over his features, taking him in, and she leaned forward
to press her lips against his. “And I know that I continue to say this, but of course she would have
loved me.”

“How in all hell did I get so lucky to have you for a wife?”

“Oh, no. Sokka, I have had far too many— too many emotional… emotions running through me
this evening, so please do not start with that—”

“I love you. I love you so, so much.”

She bit back a smile, leaning forward to kiss him again. “I love you, too.”

Chapter End Notes

little bit of a filler but action (i mean, as much action as a regency era fic can have) is
coming soon! we still have the bending academy to look into

as always, i hope you enjoyedddd and merry Christmas to those who celebrate! <3
 Chapter 20
Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

It took Toph at least two weeks to shed off the emotional weight of her conversation with Sokka
about Lady Kya.

Truthfully, she was still trying to shed it off, even weeks after he told her everything.

She needed something to do or she was going to go insane.

It was not as though she had nothing to do because that was not the case at all. She had many an
errand to run, one of which included working on recruiting more students and figuring out how the
hell she was going to do that.

Still, she still found herself needing a form of emotional release, so some days prior, she sneaked
out of bed at the ungodly hours of the night, roused Fen, and set course for the Earth Rumble VI
competition taking place that night. It had been a while since she had gone and she believed that
she truly needed the time to vent out some of the emotions she had pent up through the past
months.

It was nice to be there again, to forget for a while.

The rush of the competition allowed her to put out of her mind the fact that she had gotten married,
how she now had not only herself to think about but Sokka too, that everything had changed so
quickly in the span of a few weeks. It was a way she was able to let go of the life she was currently
living if only for a second to keep herself from panicking and becoming overwhelmed by it all.

Of course, she was not regretting her marriage to Sokka—it was simply the idea of what that all
meant. Toph was happy about not having to live with her parents any longer, having the freedom
she so sought away from them and Beifong House, but her life had altered so drastically that she
had not a moment to breathe.

Toph Beifong was now a married woman with a… husband. That type of commitment came with
expectations from people, and she was simply not in the mood to have to answer anyone’s
questions regarding the state of her marriage or when she was going to find herself with child. Not
that she would not send those who queried too much directly to hell, but she did not think she was
quite ready for those questions just yet.

So she channeled all her anxiety and pent-up fears into her matches.

She had sent so many people cowering—most of them new to the Rumble, in general—that her
fellow competitors had to give her a congratulatory pat on the back and tell her that it was good to
have The Blind Bandit back in the arena.

In truth, she was not truly back, but it had been exhilarating to return to something that had once
brought her so much joy and allowed her to simply… be.

But again, after returning home and into Sokka’s warm embrace some hours after, Toph was
restless and on edge.

It also did not help that she found herself with nothing to do. Surely, there were things that she
could do, such as tend to the stupid gardens, compose a stupid new melody on the piano-forte, or
have Fen pen and send out her stupid correspondence—all remarkably compelling duties. There
were also some balls that Toph and Sokka had been invited to, but they had yet to send back word
of whether or not they would be attending. Frankly, she did not really feel like doing any of those
things at all if she could help it.

The fact that there was no one was nagging her about her duties, asking her to do this or that,
instructing her to entertain this suitor or the other, was also unsettling her.

It was wonderful to not be bothered, but… odd.

In addition to that, she could not very well work on what she truly needed to work on with Sokka
around her at all times. It surprised her that he did not have anything much to do considering how
much they had missed each other on some days throughout the season. And not that she necessarily
wanted him to not be in her presence, but she needed him to go away, even if for two hours so that
she may work on a plan to find new students for her academy and perhaps arrange a visit with
them for a lesson. She could not very well do that if he was in the house, with her, at all times.

Toph loved him so very much, but she also needed him to scram.

Luckily, however, during the late afternoon turned evening, Toph had managed to convince Sokka
that she was in need of a very specific new quill made of iguana parrot feathers. She insisted that
she needed him to find it as she did not trust anyone else to have his eye. Honored, Sokka kissed her
and told her that he was very much up for the task. The problem, however, was that the very
specific new quill she needed did not exist. To her knowledge, iguana parrot feathers were not used
to manufacture quills.

He would be busy for at least an hour trying to find it.

One part of her felt poorly about tricking him, but she also needed the time to do what she had to
do and she knew that, at the rate that she was going, she was not going to make a dent in her duties.

She must recruit more students to her academy or there would not be much of an academy to work
with. Toph sat in her quarters with Fen, attempting to come up with a foolproof plan to find people
who might have the ability to metalbend, which was truly no easy feat. She had been lucky that she
found the two students she did. It was impossible to know if her meteorite bracelet shuddered at the
sign of a potential metalbender or simply because she walked by an earthbender, in general.

“Perhaps your current students may know someone you can work with,” Fen suggested, her elbow
resting on the table between her and Toph.

Toph shook her head. “I mentioned them bringing anyone they knew to a lesson and they have not
done so yet.”

“They are likely working on it. I do not think they were trying to fool you—of course you would
have taken note of that, but the fact remains that they seem trustworthy.”

“That is not the issue, however.” Toph stood up and began to pace as she nibbled on her thumbnail.
She ran a hand down her face and threw herself onto the bed behind her, taking a breath to
compose her thoughts. “My trouble, Fen, is that I need to make some sort of progress in this
endeavor or this will all have been for naught.”

“What will have been for naught?”

It was funny how Toph felt the color in her face drain at the sound of Sokka’s voice. She shut her
eyes tightly before sitting back up and putting on the most winning smile she was able to muster
before saying, “This is none of your business, so if you shall excuse me—”

Sokka stepped into the room, furious, but gently asked Fen to give them a moment with a polite
nod and a thank you. Then, he walked up to her and stopped just short of a few inches in front of
her. “Is this about the academy?”

“Sokka—”

The distress in his voice was enough for her to feel a hefty pang of guilt deep in her chest. “ Please
do not lie to me. I could not bear it.”

She pressed her lips into a thin line and turned her face away from him. It had to have been answer
enough.

“You are— you are still at this?” Sokka asked indignantly. “I cannot believe that you have gone
behind my back and did not tell me anything.”

“I did not go behind your back, Sokka. Your back just so happened to be turned as I worked behind
it. This has nothing to do with you.”

He was genuinely angered. Hurt. She could tell by the way he was standing, the way his voice
wavered, and the way his hands balled into fists at his sides. “Exactly—it has all to do with you
and your need to prove something to yourself.”

“Oh? And what exactly is it that I want to prove, Sokka?”

“I do not know! Perhaps it has something to do with being able to open up an academy and recruit
students, teaching them the rarest form of bending, and doing it all on your own as a woman in a
society that treats you like scum.”

Toph stood up, rage filling her now. “No, not just that at all, actually. It is foremost something that
I want to do, alright? I have explained this to you already and I will not repeat myself, but I will say
that, yes, I do want to prove something to myself, but that is not all this is about. And if you claim
to love me as much as you say you do, this is something that you should have known rather than
come to question me about.”

“You know well how I feel about you and this endeavor. We agreed—”

“We did not agree on anything! You said your piece, I said mine, and that was that. We agreed on
absolutely nothing, Sokka, and I will not stand here and have you tell me otherwise.”

He ignored her outburst. “But you lied to me!”

“I did not lie—”

“You kept this from me,” he said, his voice cracking. “You did not tell me that you were
continuing on with this idea of yours—”

“Because you are not trying to see this from my perspective, Sokka!” she exclaimed, her own voice
cracking with emotion. Loudly, she continued, “If you only tried to understand why I am doing
this, why I am so insistent on seeing this through, you may very well realize how entirely irrational
your anger at me is. And I am sorry, but I do not need your permission to do anything I choose to
do.
“This is not up to you. You knew that I was not going to be your typical little housewife when you
went on ravishing me in your damned carriage, so you cannot expect that of me now. I forbid it.”

The room was quiet yet charged with tension and anger as both of them came down from their
highs. It was he who spoke next, however, saying, “I cannot imagine that there is anything left to
say.”

“Alas, I agree,” she told him as she held back her tears. “I shall bid you goodnight.”

Sokka did not so much as wish her a good evening in return as he slipped out of the room,
slamming the door angrily behind him.

The tears that she had spent so much time trying to hold back during the argument spilled
continually down her face, though they were not of sorrow—they were caused by irritation and
outrage. How dare he question her choices? And how dare he not support her when she expressed
to him that she wanted this?

But the way he spoke to her... He was so angry with her. And while it was somewhat
understandable that he would fear for her safety and be upset that she had not told him about her
continuing to work on the academy, he knew her enough to also know that she would not give up
on something so important to her at the drop of a hat.

He knew her.

Or perhaps, he did not know her as well as she thought he did.

It was the first night she had spent alone since she wed.

Toph had made sure that she locked the door to the bedchamber she was sleeping in so as to avoid
him from wanting to join her, which he attempted numerous times throughout the night judging by
the excessive rattling she heard from the knob.

She needed some time alone, and his trying to make it up to her in bed the evening before was not
going to make matters any better.

But, Spirits, did she miss him.

Since they married, Toph had gotten used to sleeping with him—his arms perpetually wrapped
around her, warming her more than any blanket would, waking up to his kisses and his embrace,
experiencing the same before she fell asleep. So not having that for one night made it quite the
long and unbearable one.

Miserable due to her lack of slumber, Toph grunted as she sat up before she kicked off the blanket
and set her feet on the ground, only to notice a lump laying against her door.

She furrowed her brows, as she attempted to identify what blocked her door and immediately
huffed when she realized that it was Sokka, splayed out in the middle of the corridor outside of the
room she was staying in.

Her head was still pounding from the argument the evening before, but she took a deep breath
before unlocking the door and opening it only for an unconscious Sokka to fall back-first into the
room, waking up with a startled snort.

“Toph!”
“Did you sleep out here?”

He scrambled to his feet, pulling her into his embrace as she stood awkwardly in his arms. “I might
have…”

“Why would you ever—”

“Because I am sorry. For—for being such an ass.”

Toph squirmed out of his arms in favor of taking a seat on the bed. “Go on.”

“I should not have assumed that you would simply drop everything because I expressed my
concern about your academy once. It was callous and selfish of me to have thought that you would.
I became everything I despise in most of the men out in society today and for that, I am so sorry,
Toph.”

“Why did you think so, then?”

Sokka was silent for a moment his clammy hands squeezing the life out of hers. She could sense
his apprehension concerning what he was about to tell her and her curiosity was piqued. “I was
simply hoping that you would. Drop it all that is.”

“ Why ?”

“It is—” he paused, likely trying to find the proper words to convey what he wanted to tell her. “It
is complicated to explain.”

Softly, knowing that they were on the precipice of yet another important conversation, Toph said,
“Humor me.”

He let her hand go at that to run his own down his face and through his hair as he did when he was
stressed. She was beginning to grow impatient, especially when he stood up and began to pace
around the room. But then, he stopped, and he said something she never thought would come out
of his mouth.

“I am jealous.”

To say that Toph was stunned was a minimization. She cocked her head to the side in confusion, an
unmistakable look of incredulity on her face. “I do not know what you mean.”

“You have something. Something that you are building and will likely be a success because I
expect absolutely nothing less from you,” he told her carefully. “I could not understand why I was
so angered by this. But then, when you told me to put myself in your shoes for a single moment to
try and understand why you are so adamant about pursuing this, I put it together within seconds. It
is because I am jealous that you—that you have something of your own.”

The conversation she had had with him some time ago—on the night of the Liang musicale—came
to mind. He had told her that he felt as though he went about life purposeless, not knowing what he
wanted to do with himself.

She thought about how angry she had become, knowing that he very well had a purpose, but he
was too afraid to make use of it. He wanted something that would show the world that he was more
than he was; something that would make him feel fulfilled personally.

He wrote travel memoirs, for goodness’ sake, and she was well aware that he would be an
overnight success, not just because of his name or who he was.

“You know that you can have something of your own as well. You simply refuse to, Sokka, and I
am so certain that you can do it. You just need to stop being so—so stubborn and realize that.”

“And the pot calls the kettle black…”

“Hush, you.” Toph playfully shoved him. Then, she lay her head on his shoulder. “Promise me that
you will consider publishing your journals.”

“Toph—”

“Promise me.”

He sighed exasperatedly. “I promise that I will consider publishing my journals.”

“It is all I ask… husband .”

As soon as the word left her mouth, she involuntarily shuddered, making Sokka burst out in a fit of
laughter. It took him a moment to recompose himself before he asked, “Was that quite difficult?”

Wordlessly, she nodded at him as he laughed at her again, and she wholeheartedly shoved him into
the mattress as he became breathless from his teasing of her. She could not help but laugh along
with him after a few seconds as he pulled him down with her and kissed her everywhere
shamelessly.

“Is there anything else we must get off our chests?” he asked her after their laughs died down, his
tone more serious. “Such as the reason why you left our some nights ago to return two hours
later?”

Guilt swirled in her gut at her recent stunt involving sneaking out to participate in the Earth
Rumble. She let out a sheepish laugh as she sat up. “Ha-ha, yes. Erm, about that…”

“I really wish you would have told me, Toph. About all of it.”

Toph began to pick at the loose string of her nightgown. “I wanted this for myself. And I much less
wanted anyone to tell me what I should and should not do. I needed—I needed to do this for
myself. And I didn’t want to hear any objections.”

It took him a moment to respond and she took her time to brace herself for another argument, then
he sat up next to her. “You are aware of how incredibly dangerous all of this is, yes?”

“I am,” she admitted, knowing that he was speaking about the academy again. “But I am not giving
up on something that I built, Sokka, nor on something that keeps me anchored to a shred of my
independence as it once was. I cannot and I will not.”

“I worry about you. You cannot simply do things. We are together now, and I want to be able to be
there for you, T.”

She let out a light scoff. “You need not worry about me.”

“But I do. I always have, and that is not something I will change.”

“I will learn to be more transparent,” she promised. It was going to be difficult to do so because of
all the years she had spent sneaking about, but she would try. For him.
He nodded and there was a beat of silence before he spoke again. “When are you meeting with
your students again?”

“I do not know. I was—” Toph sighed in exasperation, not wanting to give him all the details, but
finding that she could not very well keep it from him, either. There was no reason to do so any
longer, and she might as well begin making due on her promise. “I was going to have Fen pen a
letter to the both of them and let them know about meeting with me sometime tomorrow or the
following day, depending on, well, you.”

There was some more silence and it unsettled her that she was unable to get a read on him. Finally,
there was a huff. “Fine. Then, I must go with you. I have always liked watching you do your
bending, anyhow.”

To say she was shocked at his change of heart was an understatement. He had been so hellbent on
her abandoning the idea on the evening of their engagement that to hear him say that he would be
happy to accompany her to the temple baffled her so much that she was stunned into silence for a
moment. She truly thought that he would put up more of a fight, but was delighted that he did not.

“Toph?”

She shook herself out of her stupor, her eyes wide in surprise. “You wish to— you wish to come
with me to the academy?”

“Yes, I do.” He nodded, his heartbeat remaining steady in her ear. “If it is no trouble, of course. I
would like to know what Sifu Toph Beifong is like in practice.”

“Oh?”

“Mhm,” he hummed, wrapping his arms around her waist and nuzzling his face into her neck.
“Who knows? Maybe Sifu Toph can make an appearance in our bedchamber tonight.”

It was ridiculous how she caught herself having to stifle a giggle at that. She shoved him away,
stood up, and pointed a finger at him, a smile etched on her face. “You may come, but you must
not do any of that in front of the students.”

Sokka was laughing at her reaction, but when he composed himself, he replied, “It will take a great
amount of control, but I think I shall be able to manage.”

“You had damn well better manage, or I will restrain you to the wall.”

“That is yet another thing we can save for the bedchamber.”

Toph rubbernecked, then snorted. “Is that all you ever think about these days?”

He pulled her into him again and kissed her before saying, “I have to make up for a lot of lost time,
Toph, so yes, ravishing you is all I can think about.”

Fen had managed to send the letters to Ho-Tun and Penga before the end of the prior day, so it was
safe to say that they had received word of Toph’s invitation to them. She hoped that they would be
able to make it to the lesson for the day as it had been very last minute—as have been their recent
meetings.

As she was not going to tell Sokka to don his own disguise, Toph had to convince herself that she
was able to trust her students enough to reveal her identity to them. Because of this, she ditched her
cloak and mask that day, and gleefully boarded the carriage disguise-less with Sokka right behind
her.

“So why teach metalbending?” Sokka asked her as they settled into their seats. “I know you have
already told me the basics of it, but I wish to hear you speak about it without you being angry with
me.”

Toph thought back to the last time she and Sokka had a conversation about the academy. It had
actually been the day he discovered her at the abandoned temple—when they first discovered that
they could not be away from each other. She held back an ironic laugh at that as Sokka notified the
hired coachman that they were ready to set course to their destination.

After clearing her throat, she leaned back against him and allowed him to wrap his arms around her
torso. “I just think teaching is fulfilling. As much as those two children aggravate me, I know that I
will be making a difference. Maybe one day, they will be able to show off what I have taught them
and pass it on if these fools in the government legalize bending before I die.”

Sokka was quiet for a moment, then he breathed out a laugh. “You also just like telling people
what to do.”

“Yes.” She bit back a smile. “That, also.”

The rest of the ride was silent with Sokka pressing trails upon trails of kisses down her face and
neck and wherever else his lips were able to reach. She so badly wanted to complain, to tell him to
cease the displays of affection, but she could not find it within herself to do so. She loved it. And
she loved him.

Both facts still baffled her, even weeks after their nuptials.

It took them no time to arrive at the temple, and Toph felt slight nervousness upon arrival. This
would be the first time she presented herself to her students full-on, no disguise or mask, with
Sokka at her side. If it turned out that she was not truly able to trust her students, things would
become unfavorable very quickly.

Something told her, however, as she gave Sokka her hand to help her out of the carriage, that
everything would turn out fine between her and the students.

And as it turned out, she was entirely correct.

When Toph revealed herself to them, Penga said, “I knew it. My family is absolutely fixated with
the Beifongs and there was something about that boar you bent when we first met that clued me
into it.”

Ho-Tun, on the other hand, was a stammering mess because he himself was not of high society and
was a tad fearful of what would happen to him, specifically, if they were discovered. Much to her
surprise, it was Sokka who had managed to talk him down his ledge of doom.

She was quite happy about the fact because she felt very close to strangling the young man until
that point.

Not only that but Penga seemed to have taken a particular liking to Sokka—Toph could feel the
shoe-obsessed adolescent’s heartbeat increase with every second she stood next to him. It was
quite difficult for Toph to not laugh in the girl’s face as Sokka tried his best to dodge any and all of
her advances.
Experiencing Sokka interacting with her students, however, caused the queerest feeling to take
residence in her stomach. Toph did not know if it was because her two lives were now melding in a
way or because it was touching how Sokka was doing whatever he could to immerse himself in
something she poured so much work into and was even risking her freedom for.

At one point during their lesson, both Penga and Ho-Tun were having trouble getting the coins in
front of them to move—not even a bit as they had weeks prior—and they were all growing
frustrated, especially Toph.

But Sokka turned to her students before she was able to unleash any pent-up wrath at them, and
told them that they were just unfocused, that they needed to get centered, think about the heat in
their gut, and do what they had to do. He said that they needed to trust their training and work on
their techniques before they put too much pressure on themselves.

Within seconds, the damn lilylivers managed to not only make their coins shudder, but Penga was
able to make a dent in hers.

Finally, as they gathered their things to head on their separate ways, Toph and Sokka to their
carriage and Penga and Ho-Tun to Spirits knew where, Toph noticed Penga standing in the middle
of the undercroft, her head cocked to the side as she stared the couple down.

“Can I help you, Fancy Feet?”

“Your husband is very attractive,” Penga said matter-of-factly, ignoring the moniker Toph had
come up with for her. “If he was not taken, I would have ensnared him myself.”

Toph grunted. “Do not call him that.”

“Call him what? Your husband?”

She visibly shuddered and Sokka affectionately pulled her to his side, laying a kiss on her head.
“She is still warming up to the idea of marriage, and more so, a marriage to her best friend’s
brother and childhood friend.”

“Yes,” Toph confirmed with a nod of her head as she halfheartedly shoved him away from her.
“What he has just proclaimed.”

In a rare turn of events, Sokka was not holding her when she woke up the next morning. He was
also not on his side of the bed.

Her eyes furrowed, a bit disappointed as she had begun to find herself expecting to wake up to his
arms wrapped securely around her and to his lips exploring her body. A small smile formed on her
lips at the thought of that as she stretched and forced herself up and out of bed.

Toph grabbed her robe from where it was hanging by the bedroom door and wrapped it around her
naked body before setting out to find Sokka. Her limbs burned because of the metalbending lessons
the day prior, but she relished in it, loving the feeling of the evidence of her hard work.

The house was surprisingly quiet and the fact made her happy. There was usually a bit of bustling
from the staff as they ran around, making breakfast and preparing the home for use for the day.
Perhaps, they had taken the suggestion of taking some time off, especially since she and Sokka
were as low maintenance as they came. The most they needed in a given day was food and for the
chamber pots to be emptied—but even then, that was something they would be happy to do
themselves if not for the staff’s insistence.
It took Toph only a few minutes to find Sokka. He was at the far end of the second level of the
house, in the room he claimed as his study. She quietly approached it and inched the not-quite-
closed door open, then leaned against the door frame as she attempted to figure out what in the
world he was up to.

It seemed, from what she could tell, that he was hunched over a trunk and was placing what, to her,
felt like small books on the ground next to him. Her lips twitched once she realized what he was
doing.

Smugly, Toph asked, “What are you doing over there, Snoozles?”

“Toph!” He jumped out of his skin and it caused her to snort. It took him a moment to recompose
himself, clearing his throat and standing up sheepishly. “Good—Good morning, my love.”

“Mhm, good morning… I believe I asked you a question.”

“Right, yes, yes. And the answer to that very intellectually charged question of yours is nothing .”

“Liar.”

“Please. I am not—I am not lying, Toph.”

She stepped into the room and shut the door behind her, a stern look on her face. “Sokka.”

“I am simply—” He grunted, likely knowing that there was no way she would believe whatever
lies he spewed. Slumping down onto the grown where he was seated earlier, he admitted, “My
journals.”

“Taking advice, then, I see.”

“My—my valet seems to have packed them,” Sokka told her, grabbing one of the leather-bound
notebooks in his hands, then tossing it aside aimlessly. “I had intended on having them thrown
away, but alas, here they are…”

Toph blinked. “What? Why?”

“Why, what?”

“Why would you throw them away when you know that you could publish them?”

He sighed frustratedly. “They are of no value to me. Or to anyone, in fact.”

“You are a fool.”

“Toph—”

“No, you are because you have something that could very well make you happy, something that is
able to fill your life with the purpose you so seek, and here you are, sitting in front of a trunk full of
things you can use, about to throw it all away due to what? Some—some irrational fear that you
have of failure?”

Sokka was quiet for a few seconds, spinning one of the notebooks around on the ground
distractedly. He was scared, truly, of what was to become of him if he did publish his journals, and
though she could not understand exactly what he had to fear, she felt for him.

When he finally spoke, his voice was close to a mutter, “It is not an irrational fear when I have
 nothing to show for myself, Toph.”

She deadpanned. “Of course you do! You have got, what? Five dozen journals filled to the very last
page? I fail to understand how that constitutes nothing.”

“What I write is—it is not good, nor is it something remotely publishable.”

“Then make it publishable!” Toph told him, sitting down on the ground next to him. “I loved what
you read to me that one time. I felt as though I was there, in Mount Makapu with you, with how
well you described everything. And if you could make someone like me feel that way, imagine
what you can make others feel.”

“You—you enjoyed it?”

“Mhm. So much, in fact, that I want you to read me more than just a silly passage.”

It took him a moment to respond to her as his heartbeat picked up in absolute nervousness. She
knew how much his travels meant to him, despite him recurring to them most of the time to avoid
real life, and for him to have written his experiences down so readily was significant. People
deserved to be exposed to his writings.

Sokka cleared his throat and plucked a notebook out of the trunk, thumbing through the pages until
he landed on one he liked. With a deep breath, he shifted his position to lay his head on her thigh
as he began to read.

“Here in Ember Island, the sand alternates between shades of brown and white,” Sokka read
quietly. His voice wavered slightly due to his nervousness. “Its thin texture makes it seem like a
silky whisper when walked on with bare feet.

“When the sun is shining, the water is an aquamarine, and when the clouds cover the sky, it turns a
deep cobalt color. And it is warm—surprisingly, amazingly warm, like a bath that was just heated.
The flawless sand becomes a gooey joy that slides and slides down my toes until another wave
comes along to clear up the mess.”

Toph closed her eyes with a small smile on her lips as he continued, thinking about sinking her feet
into the hot sands of Ember Island, Sokka at her side. “The waves are mild and lap up on the coast
with a lovely surge of foam, tickling the skin…”

Chapter End Notes

and here it is! my final 2022 fic update!

wanted to quickly say thank you to all those of you who have taken a chance on me
and this fic. i truly hope you're enjoying this as much as i had writing it and am now
having as i share it with you. there are about five chapters left and i can't tell you how
excited i am for y'all to read the conclusion and what's to come after

expect fluff :)

huge thank you again, and i hope you have a beautiful 2023 <3
 Chapter 21
Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

Toph spent an entire week from morning to evening listening to Sokka read to her about his
travels. She could not bring herself to fall asleep most nights due to the compelling nature of his
words and she needed to know more, so of course, they went through at least eight out of his fifty-
six journals per day. They stopped well into the night when his voice grew coarse from the
overuse; otherwise, they would have kept at it if not for the promise that he would continue
reading the next day.

It was a fantastic dynamic they had going. Whenever he would finish reading a section of his
writings, Sokka would ask her for her opinion on it; she would shamelessly provide it and he would
take notes. Toph’s critiques were not by any means professional, but she helped him polish what he
had on paper and managed to make him feel better about what he had written.

She heard about his time in the Dragonbone Catacombs beneath the Fire Nation’s High Temple
two years ago; about his journeys in Omashu five years ago; about his time spent at Ba Sing Se
University as he finished out his studies. In no world would she have thought that tales of his
travels would have kept her so enthralled, but there she was, hanging onto his every word.

Never was Toph a person who readily handed out validation—she believed that it was something
one earned rather than asked for—but Sokka was not even asking for it when she told him how
fascinated by his work she was in not so many words. She would ask him to tell her more about his
time in certain places, about people he met, and he would tell her with no hesitation—he even took
note of it in order to elaborate more upon it in his writings.

One morning, Sokka asked Toph if she knew any publishing houses. At that, she beamed at him,
wondering aloud if he had decided that he would take her advice on sharing his journals with the
world, and he shrugged, his own grin on his face, and said that he was happy to do a consultation
with anyone she recommended.

She was so happy to hear that he was looking to speak with someone to get his journals
professionally edited and published. Unfortunately, however, she knew no one, but she was sure
that Katara had connections, so he told him that she would ask her.

“Toph. No.”

“Oh, please. This is your sister we are talking about. She would not judge you nor forsake you.”

Sokka huffed. “I know that, but I—I am not sure that I want to share this with her yet. I much rather
surprise her with the news when everything is worked out. And—and this is something that you
and I are sharing right now, and I should like to keep it that way for as long as I can.”

An eye roll at the last bit of his statement. “Very well, but I will be visiting with her today, so do
tell me if you change your mind.”

“Oh?”

“Mhm, I am to meet with the girls for brunch at your father’s. I would invite you, but I am a tad
sick of you.”
He laughed, pulling her into his embrace and pressing a tender kiss to her head. “I am growing
quite sick of you as well. The time apart will certainly do us well.”

“You sound quite certain of this, Xiansheng,” she told him as she straddled his hips beneath the
blanket. “Are you?”

His hands went to her waist as he sat up to meet her. “Mm, quite.”

“Prove it, then.” She smirked and swung her inner leg off the bed to stand up. “I shall return in the
early afternoon to prepare for the ball tonight.”

“Oh, you little minx .”

An indulgent gasp before she entirely left the room to get herself ready. “You surely know how to
appease me.”

An hour and a handful of undressings later, Toph managed to leave Sokka’s embrace and her home
in favor of the carriage that would drop her off at Malina and Hakoda’s Gaoling estate. The day
was warm, not as hot as it had been throughout the summer, and she appreciated it, considering
how all carriages did during the middle months of the year was make it feel hotter.

Toph was feeling content with the way things were—more content than she had been in years, in
fact, and she did not quite mind it. Perhaps she was happy that she was no longer being pushed
toward a marriage she did not want to be a part of or the fact that her parents were no longer giving
her any grief. A large part of her joy now, however, was largely due to Sokka, the fact that she had
opened herself up to him, and the love they had for each other.

She felt light.

Breaking her out of her thoughts, the coachman notified her that they had arrived at the estate, so
she thanked him, and stepped out of the carriage before he was able to help her out—she was quite
capable of dismounting a carriage on her own.

Hmph.

She did not even have to knock before Katara and Suki were at the door waiting to pull her in, both
of them chattering and bombarding her with questions about how she was doing among other
things.

Frustrated, Toph pulled her arms away from them with a grunt. “Shall you let me breathe, you
ninnies?”

Suki snorted indiscreetly, stepping aside to let her walk into the house. “Apologies, but I have not
seen you since you wedded and I find that incredibly boorish, especially when Katara has probably
heard all of the details of your marriage bed.”

“I have not!” Katara said indignantly as they led Toph into the drawing room. Her voice dropped
into a whisper. “But I do wish to know most of the details, not all, as this is my brother we are
speaking about and I truly do not need to know what he does behind closed doors with my best
friend.”

This time, it was Toph who laughed, plopping down into the cushioned seat she normally claimed
during their brunches. “Well, now I must speak of all of the gritty details if it unsettles you so,
Katara.”
“What unsettles Katara so?” Malina asked, suddenly popping into the room.

“Oh, you know,” Suki started, “your stepson’s acts of love.”

Toph widened her eyes, feeling the heat rush into her cheeks as she propped her elbow against the
table and laid her head on her arm in shame. It was all fun and games until one’s stepmother-in-law
heard word of her stepson’s acts of love.

“Oh, um, very well. It is what newlyweds do, indeed, so it is unsurprising that they spend their
time shagging—”

“Malina!” Katara interrupted loudly, evidently trying to cover up her amusement, though she was
not much succeeding.

Toph, mortified, cleared her throat. “Brunch? I am quite peckish.”

“I can call Sokka to take care of that for you.”

“I have been waiting for this day,” Toph said suddenly.

Suki chuckled. “What day?”

“The day I lay you to permanent rest.”

“Toph!”

The rest of Toph’s brunch with Katara, Suki, and Malina went by fairly quickly, though Toph was
being accosted the entire time. Naturally, Toph argued with them until they ceased their comments,
but whenever she spoke up and sent them all straight to hell, her cheeks betrayed her, which caused
another round of teasing.

Still, they eventually left her alone, knowing well that if they kept prodding, she would be
spooked. Though, she would never run away from Sokka; not again.

When they finally moved on from the subject of Toph and Sokka to bending, Toph wanted to, once
again, bury herself in the depths of the earth. The very last thing she wanted was to speak about the
one thing she wished she could do for fun out in public, and the one thing she wished she was able
to teach widely to earthbenders across the nation.

Katara mentioned that Zuko had been trying to persuade the nations’ leaders to reconsider the ban
to no avail. Apparently, he had been at it for months on end, though she had not mentioned
anything to Toph until that moment. Katara also said that she was only saying something now
because there was a new development—Zuko had traveled to the Fire Nation for the weekend in
order to conduct a meeting with the leaders of each nation regarding the legitimacy of bending, but
it had not ended well, but that they seemed more receptive.

What Toph would give to be able to do as she pleased with her bending… and she knew that so
many others felt the same way, but that was evidently a non-factor as bending had been illegal for
far longer than she or any of her friends had been alive.

It was not fair in any way, shape, or form, which is why she turned to her underground tournaments
and the guise of her temple-turned-academy. Not that she minded sneaking around and putting on a
show for people who did not care for societal rules or governmental bans, but it would be nice to
be able to bend whenever and wherever she pleased without fear of apprehension.
In her solemn state, Toph returned home, thoughts of the conversation she had just had with the
ladies fresh in her mind. She was unsure of what she wanted, but she was certain that she did not
want to be bothered at least until dinnertime and later, the ball.

The first thing she wished to do when she made it to her property was greet her husband, but she
was met with the fact that he was not currently in-house. Haitao told her that he was going to be out
with Zuko and Aang doing Spirits know what for about two more hours, so she grumbled her
appreciation to the footman, and she went out to the yard to find something to do.

Her feet went from the cold floor of the house to the warm ground of the lawn outside. The day
was particularly nice; not too hot or humid—despite it being summer. The sunshine was not in her
face and the breeze was just right, enough to not lift the fringe off her forehead too much. Without
thinking or ceremony, Toph threw herself onto the ground, letting herself feel the earth and the
breeze and the warmth of the sun, perpetually comfortable and close to her element.

She concentrated on the critters creeping by around her, on the weight of the rocks and pebbles,
and the way the wind hit her until she dozed off.

Toph knew not how long she was asleep, but by the time she awoke, she could feel Sokka laying
on the ground right next to her.

Without moving or opening her eyes, she asked, “Should you like to paint a picture?”

Her voice startled him and she had to hold back a chuckle as he recomposed himself. He said, “I
am afraid one would not suffice.”

“Have you never been told that it is rude to stare, Xiansheng Sokka?”

“Oh, yes. But it is hard to keep my eyes off the likes of you.”

Toph made a face of disgust at him for the comment and he guffawed, pressing a kiss to her lips.
She could not help but smile against his mouth as she returned his gesture before her stomach
sounded out loudly between them.

“Hungry?”

“Starving.”

Sokka stood and pulled her up after him, taking her hand in order to lead her into the house. “Good
thing because I have just had dinner set up for us. I wanted to ensure that we ate before the ball
tonight.”

“You sure know how to romance me.”

“Would be a shame if I did not, frankly.” He gave her derriere a smack before pulling out her chair
for her to sit, and taking the seat directly next to her.

The plate of roast meat was set in front of them, making Toph salivate and dig directly into the
food before the footman even retired from her side. Sokka let out a hardy laugh at her, but his
reaction to the food was not at all different from hers.

They ate in companionable silence, the only sound heard was the scraping of their utensils against
their plates and the occasional moan of delight.

It was not until moments later, when they had cleaned their plates of the main course and were
served Wagashi deserts, that Sokka cleared his throat to speak.

“So after my outing with Aang and Zuko, I was left thinking—”

“The world must be ending.”

As if he did not hear her comment, he continued, “—And I am quite peeved.”

Her pastries were too delicious to stop eating, so she rolled her eyes at his dramatics, and with a full
mouth, she replied, “I could not be less interested in why that is, currently.”

“Rude.”

“Oh, my apologies. Did that peeve you further, dearest ?”

“Hearing you call me dearest has un -peeved me, actually.”

She rolled her eyes again. “Ass.”

Theatrically, Sokka stuffed something into his mouth and did not even swallow before continuing,
“But as I was saying before you interrupted me—churlishly, might I add—I am peeved, Toph,
because you are doing such great things with your academy and—and you are unable to do
anything with it.”

“Where is this coming from, Sokka?” Her words came out a bit more bitingly than she would have
preferred, but she had just been able to rid herself of the bleak thoughts regarding bending
throughout the four nations. She did not need to hear how he felt about it; not at that very instance,
at least.

He cleared his throat again at her tone after taking a sip from his wine. “I imagine you were
wondering where I went this afternoon with Zuko and Aang.”

“Not particularly.” Though she was curious.

“I am to tell you anyhow,” he told her. “Aang and I were invited to accompany Zuko to a council
meeting with the Earth Kingdom leaders where they discussed matters of the legality of elemental
bending. He invited me along considering that you and I are now wedded and you are, objectively,
the best earthbender in the world, and I listened in. And I am not too sure why he invited Aang,
though I believe his dukedom has much to do with it. All in all, however, it was an infuriating
conversation, the one we witnessed with Zuko and the leaders.”

Toph kept quiet, knowing very well how infuriating it was to hear dignitaries that were fully
capable to do as they pleased with their bending abilities whine on and on about how the world
citizens should not be able to do that very same thing. It was hypocritical and it vexed her to no
end.

The number of times that Toph had to sit around during governmental announcements and bite her
tongue at the absolute bullshit they were spewing was monumental. They would speak about how
dangerous it was to have people bending elements “willy nilly” when they themselves were the
ones taking advantage of their abilities because they had the power to do so.

Now more than ever, she thought about Penga and Ho-Tun. They would become metalbenders and
would not be able to show off their mastery of the art. And Toph would not be able to open her
academy up to more than a handful of people for fear of being discovered because the dunderheads
that were in charge could not bear the idea of powerlessness of any kind.
In truth, they would not be powerless at all, though this was something that she knew that they
could not see.

Understanding that she was not going to say anything in response, Sokka took her hand and
continued, “There has to be something we can do, Toph. I—it is not fair that you and my sister and
all other benders must hide away your art. And it is also unfair that people like Suki cannot put
their fighting skills to use.”

“Sokka—”

“No. No. We are going to do something about this. I have governmental leverage. Or at least my
father does. He can ask for an audience with the council and the world leaders and plead our case.
And I am sure that with the influence that your father has…”

“My father will do nothing to help this cause,” Toph said abruptly, pulling her hand out of his as
she shook her head, resigned. Her father would never want to be involved with the legalization of
bending—he was one of the people who agreed with the government’s decision to ban it! “He will
not, and he will certainly not want to do so if I am involved, so please do not speak with him about
this.”

“Then you shall come with me. You need no one to speak for you, anyhow, but I would still like to
be present, especially because I have been attending these meetings with Zuko. These councilmen
are, quite frankly, assholes when it comes to listening to the needs of women. And I am your
husband after all, so it would make sense for me to accompany you if not for any other reason.”

She shuddered, taking a sip of her wine. “That… still sounds horrible.”

“Us going to this meeting in Lao’s place?”

“No. You being my husband.”

“You are going to have to get used to it, nonetheless,” Sokka said, plucking the wine glass out of
her hand and setting it aside to take her hand again, “because you are to hear it for the rest of our
lives, my love.”

Suppressing a smile, she lamented, “Oh, joy.”

The ball, just as well as any other ball, was underwhelming, but she had Sokka at her side for most
of the night, and there was no reason for them to be hiding away any emotions they felt for one
another.

This was the first time they were out in public after their makeshift honeymoon, and though Toph
wanted nothing more than to be at home in his arms or doing something more productive than
standing around a ballroom and listening to the married ladies chat away, she was content.

Correction: she was content up until the point Sokka pestered her about a dance.

“I will not be dancing with you this evening; I am perfectly fine here… with the married ladies…”

It could not have been a more blatant lie—all they were speaking about was how many times they
had tried to conceive a child and been unsuccessful. Even Katara leaned into Toph’s ear a couple
of times to tell her that this was something she had to get used to as a newly married lady.

Sokka snorted. “I know I have told you this many a time before, but you truly cannot lie to save
your life.”

“I do not want to dance.”

“Fine, then come out to the gardens with me,” he said, causing her to raise a questioning brow. He
squeezed her hand in response. “We can do that now, sneak away together, because we are married
and no one will attempt to ruin you. Is that not fun?”

As much as she tried, she could not suppress her smile. But she shook her head. “Katara will never
forgive me if I leave her here alone before Zuko finishes making his rounds.”

Toph was almost certain that part of the reason why Katara was so excited about Toph being
married was that she would no longer have to face the idiocies of the married ladies alone.

She could not truly blame her; the women were insufferable.

Almost as though she was summoned, Katara joined Toph and Sokka after excusing herself from
the chatting ladies they were accompanied by. “You were not thinking of leaving me, were you? I
do not think I would be able to survive another moment with them. Lady Jin does not cease her
speak of her husband’s…impediment.”

Sokka made a face. “Impediment?”

“Apparently,” Katara said to them in a whisper, “Lord Xing, her husband, has not been able to—
you know —after their wedding night. She continually speaks of his impotence and it is not as
though we can tell her to cease because that would be—well, it would be rude!”

Toph did not even bother to hide her laugh as Sokka’s eyes widened. “She told you that?”

“She has told us a lot of things, unsolicited, much of it involving her sexual life, within the past
hour,” Toph supplied, then she poked him in the ribs. “This would not be happening if I had not
married. And I blame you for putting me in the position to have to listen to that.”

“Me? Was it not you who did not stop me from—”

“Would the two of you not have this conversation here? In front of the entire ton ?” Katara said,
effectively interrupting what Sokka was going to say.

Toph gaped at Katara. “For once, I have said nothing! Why am I being scolded, Mother ?”

“Because you were very likely about to say something even more vulgar than what he was about
to, were you not?”

Damn her.

Toph was very much about to tell him that he was the one who had managed to coerce her into
making love to her on his sister’s bed. It would have brought her insurmountable pleasure to
experience Katara’s reaction to that, but she decided that she would save it for another moment.

“Touché,” she responded, taking Sokka’s hand. “In that case, then, he and I will take our
vulgarisms elsewhere whilst you entertain the ladies over there. I sure hope Zuko does not take too
long with his rounds!”

Before Katara could protest, Sokka pulled her away from the ballroom and into the large,
beautifully scented garden, giggling like a couple of kids as they ran into the greenery.
Just as they had been laying on the lawn at the back of their residence hours prior, Toph and Sokka
splayed out onto the grass behind the Shun estate. The sound of the fountain beside them was
calming, making her forget about where they were as she propped herself up on her arm and kissed
him tenderly on the lips.

His hand went into her hair as he pulled her on top of him, and she laughed against his lips. The
laughing ceased, however, when his grip on her hair tightened and his hand trailed down to her
thigh. She groaned into his mouth at the sensation, at the warmth she felt blossoming in her chest,
not unlike the very first time he kissed her and the subsequent times after that. His scent, the
woody and clean one that she had grown so used to, was dizzying, causing butterflies to flutter in
her stomach.

It made her wonder if the feeling of newness and heat and absolute devotion would fade with the
years that came and went.

She hoped it never did.

Her fingers fumbled for the buttons on his changshan as she tried to attain additional closeness to
him, her need to feel him more important than anything else, but he gently grabbed her wrist and
pulled away from her.

“Not here.”

Toph grumbled. “Why not? There’s no one around, and as you expressed earlier, we have already
married, so what can they say? That we are…enjoying each other’s company too much?”

“While that is true,” he told her as he sat up and gave her one final kiss on the lips, “I do not
possess the eagerness to ward off public indecency fines.”

Rolling onto the grass, Toph dramatically threw her arm over her face. “You and your rules .”

“They are in place for a reason, I shall have you know.”

“Most of them are stunningly laughable, such as the one that dictates that women are not to be in
charge of finances, or the one that prohibits women from earning any kind of formal, academic
education as if we did not possess half a brain.”

It was a subject that Toph was particularly bitter about. Men had the ability to do whatever they
pleased, say what they wanted, and not be questioned about it. She and Katara and Suki all wished
to be formally educated, they yearned to learn about any and all subjects offered, but because they
were women, they were unable to because it was far more important to learn how to be wives to
their future husbands.

Sokka was quiet, knowing that she was right. Wordlessly, he laid back down right next to her and
took her hand, bringing it up to his lips to press a kiss on her palm.

It was not until minutes later that he said, “I would never prohibit you from doing whatever it is
you please—control our finances, work, dance around in the nude—especially that last one. It is
not my place to tell you what you can and cannot do; I would never. And no man should expect to
decide what his wife does with her time.”

She knew that—of course she did. She would not have returned to Gaoling after ambushing Azula
in Whale Tail Island if she did not know that (even if she did not know that she knew back then).

Toph squeezed his hand. “It is just hard to live like this; so confined, especially when I and so
 many others have so much to offer.”

This was true. Suki was also a woman who had to hide away her talents because public combat
was made illegal. She was a true master in hand-to-hand and weapon combat, something that Toph
would have no issue incorporating into her academy eventually. Ty Lee was also very versed in the
art of chi-blocking, and regardless of how Ty Lee allowed the marriage mart to make rivals of
them, Toph could also see her teaching others her ways.

“Then let me speak with the council and the halfwits that are in charge—let me plead your case, all
of your cases. And I was serious about you coming to speak with them if we are given an audience
with them. You and I both know that you command a room the moment you step into it and people
will listen to you when you speak. This is not fair, and I know how much you want this, Toph. I
simply cannot stand by and allow you to be unhappy when we can do something about it.” He sat
up again slightly and placed both his hands on her face. “I shall take care of everything. You
deserve this. You all do.”

“I appreciate your ambition, Sokka, but I do not know if—”

He was shaking his head before he interrupted her sentence. “I can assure you that I take my
wedding vows quite seriously—in sickness and in health and all of that.”

Toph snorted, pushing his hands away from her. “The in sickness and in health bit has absolutely
nothing to do with this, you meathead.”

“Mm, no, but it made you laugh, did it not? Besides, I do take my vows seriously, and I will be
doing this for you, I swear it. I would love nothing more.”

She bit back a smile, trying to fathom when her love for this man would stop growing, and when it
would slow to a stop. “You are truly something else.”

“Well, I regret to inform you that you are stuck with me and my something elseness for as long as
we both shall live, Toph Beifong.”

Chapter End Notes

as always, i hope this was enjoyable for yall, and thanks for reading :)
 Chapter 22
Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

“I cannot believe you convinced me to come here again,” Katara told her nervously, pacing back
and forth in front of Toph, who was running through a basic warm-up routine in the preparation
quarters of the Earth Rumble VI arena. “I had to tell Zuko and my maid that I was going to a flower
arranging class this time.”

“Flower arranging ?”

Katara paused her pacing to glare at Toph. “It was the first thing that came to mind, all right?”

“And you,” Toph grinned at Katara, “are the best friend any woman could ever ask for.”

“Mhm, I bet. Dragging an expecting woman to the most dangerous—not to mention, illegal —
place in the Earth Kingdom more than once this month better make me the best of them all, I
reckon.”

“Oh, well, I reckon that even a fetus could use some exposure to adventure every once in a while,”
Toph replied with an even bigger smile as she threw herself down onto the ground and wiped the
sweat off of her forehead.

The entire reason Toph had persuaded Katara into coming to the Earth Rumble with her was that
she had lost Sokka to Zuko and Aang about a month ago because none of them were letting up on
their movement toward bending and defense legalization. Toph found herself even more bored than
she had been after she got married, having exhausted all of her options for any kind of
entertainment.

She had managed to get two training sessions in with Penga and Ho-Tun, both of whom showed
incredible— truly remarkable—improvement in their metalbending. Their progress was slow but it
was there and it was more than Toph had ever asked for. Ho-Tun had also told Toph that he knew
of someone—an art curator in the village—who possessed the ability to earthbend. He was also a
sculptor, apparently, who only went by the pseudonym The Dark One. As pityingly pathetic as that
sounded, Toph figured that they should arrange for him to appear at the academy someday so that
she may evaluate his abilities.

Three students were better than two, she surmised.

Other than that, Toph found herself not doing much of anything. She took tea with the ladies, sat
with Fen to make more plans for the academy in the case Sokka, Zuko, and Aang were successful
in their endeavors in gaining an audience with the council about bending legalization, did some
bending in her vast backyard in the privacy of her own home, and even went to dinner twice with
her parents in the last month.

Neither time had been as horrible as she believed it would be. Her father actually made
conversation with her that did not revolve around society or financials; rather, he asked her if she
was happy or if there was anything she needed from them or from him, specifically. He had even,
in his own words, said that he missed her.

She appreciated it; it was the most she had ever spoken with him without it becoming a screaming
match.
Poppy was also pleasant, asking about Katara and Suki without the usual bitterness she reserved
for them in her voice before Toph moved out. It was then that Toph realized that her mother was
jealous of the fact that her friends knew more about Toph than her own mother did. Toph promised
herself that she would visit home more often after that.

She also went on promenades or out for drinks with Katara daily because Katara was as bereft of
Zuko as Toph was of Sokka. They were both so busy with their goings-on that they had barely any
time left over for their wives.

It was, truly, a shame, but it had allowed Toph to head off to the Earth Rumble thrice only this
week, so she was not going to complain much.

The announcer called on Toph’s alias just as she was about to head out, her mask and ensemble
properly adjusted, Katara grabbed her arm and said, “Please do be cautious out there today. I do not
—I have a bad feeling.”

“You are so paranoid; I am sure everything will go smoothly today.” Toph rolled her eyes,
grabbing Katara’s hand and pulling her along into the arena behind her. “Stay close, alright?”

With her usual impetus during a competition, Toph charged into the arena and took her stance
across from her competitor—The Boulder. She had plenty of times before fought against him, but
she would always finish him off within seconds of having started a round. He was burly and tough
and was a fairly decent bender and fighter, but was never a match for Toph.

As soon as the announcer gave them the signal to begin the fight, Toph remained still, a defiant
eyebrow in his direction. “Are you not tired of being bested by me so constantly?”

“Yes,” he responded, summoning a boulder from the surface of the arena, “which is why tonight is
the last time I will be bested by you.”

Toph laughed, throwing her head back as he sent the boulder flying in her direction, and as always,
she avoided it expertly, returning it to him with more fervor and power. He grunted and fell on his
back onto the ground.

“Are you quite certain, Blunderbuss?”

The Boulder was unable to respond with anything other than grunts and groans as he attempted to
stand up and get back into his stance to retaliate. He did not have the opportunity, however,
because Toph felt a faint rumbling in the distance—the kind of rumbling that was feared by those
who participated in this tournament.

Widening her eyes in alarm, Toph yelled, “Watchmen!” causing the audience and her fellow
competitors to scramble and try to make for one of the five exits from the arena.

Toph immediately flew off the stage to locate Katara, but it was becoming increasingly difficult to
find her due to the number of people who messily filed out of the arena to avoid apprehension.

Fear immediately flooded her gut as she felt the authorities approaching with alarming speed until
she heard the dread-filled voice of her best friend hollering at her in the distance.

“Toph!”

“What part of stay close did you not understand?” Toph chided when she reached Katara, grabbing
her hand, and giving the ground a stomp to open a gaping hole in the ground. “Get in, and stay
close, Katara, or so help me…”
“Yes, very well, staying close,” Katara muttered, climbing down into the opening as Toph
followed suit. Toph felt Katara take her hand tightly in hers and the former could not help but
chuckle. Katara said, “It is very dark in here and I am not much of a fan of the dark as you should
well know.”

“Mhm, I know. It sounds like a tragic fate, indeed.”

“Oh, hush up.”

The two of them laughed quietly as they advanced through Toph’s makeshift tunnel. It did not take
too long to make it to their destination—Toph and Sokka’s home. As soon as they emerged from
the ground and into the comfort and familiarity of the vast backyard, Katara let out a loud, “Oh,
thank the Spirits!” and threw herself onto the grass. Toph joined her.

The two of them lay silently, panting slightly as they caught their breaths and let the adrenaline
coursing through their veins quell. That had been much too close for Toph’s comfort, but she was
happy that she got Katara and herself out unscathed.

That relief lasted a very limited time, however, because some minutes later, Toph could feel the
hurried steps of their significant others approaching them. With a huff, knowing the lecture that
they were about to receive, Toph sat up and pulled Katara along with her.

“What were you thinking ?” Sokka questioned as soon as he was close enough to them, his voice
booming with less anger than she had anticipated, and more fear. For a split second, she felt poorly
about worrying him.

Zuko stood directly in front of where Toph and Katara sat, his arms crossing over his chest.
“Flower arranging was it? I should have known—Toph would never go flower arranging. She
would rather die than arrange flowers.”

“She—my sister said that she had gone flower arranging? With Toph ?”

“It is what she said, yes, and I was too distracted by taking my leave and arriving at the council
meeting with the Air Nomads on time, so I did not question it. I now see that I should have…”

Toph leaned over to Katara. “You told him I was to flower arrange with you also?”

“I was covering for you and your scheme. I would think you grateful.”

“I am, but me? Flower arranging? Honestly?”

Katara was silent for a moment. “It was, in retrospect, a foolish cover, but I tried.”

“Evidently, not hard enough.”

“We can hear you, you know!” Sokka said thunderingly, making Toph wince. Spirits, did the man
always have to be so loud?

“We can, too, I assure you,” Toph told him as she stood up and dusted off her surely dirty skirt.
“But do calm yourselves. We are fine.”

He walked up to her and pulled her into his chest, her arms still awkwardly at her sides as he
embraced her. “Zuko and I came as soon as we heard the faintest whisper. Do you have any clue
what could have happened to you both had you been caught? I cannot even begin to imagine—”
“But nothing happened, Sokka. We are quite well, and we had quite the adventure as we escaped.
It was the most fun I have had in years, to be frank.”

“You both could have been caught, however,” he said. “You could have gotten hurt! Or arrested!
Or—or killed!”

“But we did not .”

He shook his head and pressed a kiss onto her forehead as she finally allowed her arms to circle his
waist. “I love you. I just—I cannot bear the thought of anything happening to you and not being
able to stop it.”

She properly enjoyed the fact that he was so worried about her and his sister’s safety. It was quite
arousing, actually. She was amazed that she had not noticed that his protectiveness was attractive
before she married him.

There was also the fact that while he was indeed worried about her, he also understood that there
were things about her that he knew he would never change. Toph was an adventurous, daring
spirit, who fought like hell for whom and what she loved, and the fact that he knew this enough to
not argue with her about what was right and what was wrong anymore made her heart swell.

Zuko, who had been talking to Katara on the ground quietly as Toph and Sokka spoke, said, “I
thought you said that you were done with the Rumble, Toph.”

Toph crossed her arms over her chest when Sokka released her and pompously replied, “Clearly, I
was fibbing.”

“Is there anything else that I should know?”

Both Sokka and Katara stifled laughs at that. Toph simply shrugged. “Nothing that your fragile
ears will be able to handle at this very moment, so do not fret, my pet. All is well.”

Despite not being able to see his expression, she knew that he was glaring daggers at her for not
saying what he wanted her to. All she could do, however, was laugh.

“Now that we’re all here,” Sokka said laughingly, sliding his hand down Toph’s arm to take her
hand, “shall we retire to the dining room for a late-night snack? Or perhaps a full-course meal?”

Katara gaped at him as Zuko helped her to her feet. “A full-course meal? It is significantly past
midnight!”

“The fright seems to have made me hungry, so do not blame me for that, sister. This is your fault,
and also my wife’s fault, but I can forgive her more easily for obvious reasons.”

Toph smiled wickedly and pulled him down to her for a kiss as Zuko and Katara walked past them,
the former giving his brother-in-law a playful shove before disappearing into the house. Sokka
groaned and pressed a final kiss to her lips before sprinting after them and throwing himself right
onto Zuko’s back with a grunt.

The smile on Toph’s face grew into a full-on grin as she listened to her best friend laugh at their
husbands and their roughhousing before following them inside. She never thought she would be as
happy as she found herself then, and she sure hoped it would last.

Zuko and Katara ended up staying the night at Toph and Sokka’s estate after dinner. There were
plenty of rooms to choose from, and despite the fact that their husbands were likely going to
question their absence beside them at night, Toph and Katara found themselves tucked in the bed
in one of the guest bedrooms. It was already morning when they decided to attempt to sleep, but it
wasn’t coming easily to either of them, likely because of the lasting uneasiness from the events of
the Rumble.

The windows were open, letting the soft sounds of the chirping birds and the rustling trees outside
fill in the companionable silence the ladies lay in. Amid their quiet, Katara’s head on Toph’s chest,
Toph’s mind was occupied by everything that happened, and what could have happened.

Her heart was still racing from the fright of almost having been caught in the act at the arena. Toph
had never before experienced a raid such as that one before and she had hoped that she never
would, but it looked as though her luck had run out on that front. She had been so fortunate to not
have been apprehended, and she had not a clue what she would have done if that had happened.

Toph boasted about how unafraid of being arrested for bending she was to her friends often, it was
true, but she had no idea what that kind of reality would be like. Not only would the very
minuscule shred of freedom she had be stripped away from her but there would also be a lifelong
curtain of shame brought upon her family, which now included Sokka and Katara and their
relations along with Toph’s own.

The evening could have had an entirely different outcome, and Toph was both frightened and
outraged because of it.

There would be no need for illegal earthbending competitions to be taking place if there were no
laws against the act of bending. Yet, evidently, the dunderheads in charge did not take that into
consideration when they delegitimized it and combat contests all those years ago.

The idea of Sokka, Zuko, and Aang finding a way to plead their case—the case of women and
those who wanted to make use of their talents—was becoming increasingly enticing to Toph with
each second that passed.

“Do you think they will actually do it?” Toph asked Katara quietly, knowing she was awake too.

“What?”

“Do you think Zuko, Aang, and your brother will actually be able to get us an audience with the
council?”

Katara sighed and took Toph’s hand. “Of that I am uncertain, but I do know that if they do not, you
shall make them listen to you, regardless.”

A self-righteous smile appeared on Toph’s face and she responded, “I suppose you are right. I can
be very convincing when I want to be.”

“Toph,” Katara said warningly. “You will not be storming into their offices and threatening to beat
them.”

“Well, now, where is the fun in that?”

Katara sat up at that and leaned against the bed’s headboard, urging Toph to do the same. There
was a long silence between them and Toph was beginning to grow impatient, but just as she was
opening her mouth to question her, Katara said, “You must be more careful. Last night could have
ended differently for you and me both.”
With a sigh, Toph began to toy with a loose string on the blanket. She was aware of that, and she
had been thinking about as much since everything happened. But all she wanted was to do what she
really wanted to do. Competing had brought her so much joy throughout the years, and because she
had never been caught, she continued doing so. And having been bored out of her wits due to
Sokka and Zuko’s absence, she only sought to keep herself and Katara entertained, not thinking
about the consequences.

Perhaps it was time to hang up her championship belt and call it a day for the time being, at least
until she pled her case to the council.

But Toph was never one to give up, and she was not about to start now.

Understandably, however, Katara’s concerns were valid. She was with child and there were more
important things for her to worry about than her rulephobic best friend’s hijinks now.

“You are going to be a wonderful mother,” Toph responded to her, only slightly sarcastically.

Katara snorted. “When I have you to practice my skills on, I am sure I will be.”

“I think that I shall take that as a compliment,” she replied, with a small smile. Then, she deflated a
bit. “I am sorry for putting you in harm’s way. It was not my intention—”

“Toph, I know that. I know that your intention is never to bring danger to anyone, and I know that
you needed to make yourself busy while everything with the council is sorted, but since that is all
happening, raids are more likely to happen than they used to be, so you must be careful. With the
competitions and your academy. At least until this all dies down or until after you get your
audience with the council… you would be risking yourself, those around you, and your students if
you do not.”

Of course, Toph knew that Katara’s words were entirely correct, but it did not mean that she was
not dismayed by them. They only served to anger her further. Still, Toph took a breath and nodded.
She would be able to manage without convening with her students for a few weeks, maybe a
month, or however long it would take Sokka, Zuko, and Aang to convince the council about
hearing them out. She was sure that she could have Fen pen them a letter with careful instructions
about how they may train while they met again in order for them not to lose their progress. This
was feasible… as much as it pained her to accept.

Itching to change the subject, Toph nudged Katara’s rib with her elbow. “I was not kidding about
you being a good mother.”

“Oh, I do hope that you are correct,” Katara laughed nervously, grabbing Toph’s hand and gripping
it as though it was a lifeline. “I have wanted this for so long and now that it is happening, barring
any complications, I cannot help but think that something will go wrong.”

“Absolutely nothing will go wrong, Katara.”

“But we do not know that. Anything can happen. Did you not hear about the loss of Sun’s child or
about the way Princess Yue did not even survive her pregnancy nor did her babe—”

“Katara, stop this right now,” Toph said firmly, interrupting Katara’s thought. “What happened to
the sanguine, pain-in-my-ass best friend, who believed in the best outcome for everything, hmm? I
never foresaw myself being the optimist in this relationship, but I do believe that I cannot help it in
this situation, and I do not understand how you are unable to see that as well.

“None of this will happen to you, of that I am certain. In fact…” Toph pushed the covers off herself
and got up off the bed, pulling Katara with her. She gave the ground a solid stomp. “I have never
detected a heartbeat in a mother’s womb as strong as this one. And you are, what? Two months
along just about? That is quite impressive for a fetus, Sugar Queen.”

Katara’s hands went to her flat stomach. “You are surely just saying that…”

“I am doing no such thing. When have I ever lied to you?”

A beat of silence. “Do you truly wish for me to answer that?”

Toph pursed her lips and cleared her throat, knowing well that she had indeed lied to Katara before,
especially this season. “No, perhaps not, but I am not lying to you about this. I promise you. Your
child will be born happy and healthy and you and Zuko will be just fine by the end of it all. I know
it.”

After releasing a shuddering breath, Katara pulled Toph into her embrace, and the latter responded
with slight hesitation, burning her face in Katara’s shoulder. For about five minutes, they just stood
there, clinging to each other, some tears slipping out of Katara’s eyes and onto Toph’s face, but
then, they released each other and returned to the warmth of the bed.

Katara rested her head on Toph’s shoulder once they were settled. “What of you, then?”

“Hm?”

“When do you and my brother plan on making me an aunt?”

Not having anticipated the question, Toph gasped quietly but ended up trying to ride out a fit of
coughs. Katara patted her back to help her along, but as she did, all Toph could think about was
that she had not even begun to wonder about children. It is true that she had once sworn marriage
and all it came with off, but look at how well that first bit turned out. She was, much to Past
Toph’s dissatisfaction, quite happily married. But did that mean that she wished to have children?

She was certain, up until that point, that she did not. But now… she was not as certain any longer.

“We have not spoken about such things,” Toph chose to reply. And it was true. They had not even
touched upon the subject. “I do not know if it is what I want. What we want.”

“I am sure that Sokka has the desire of being a father. He has mentioned it to me before, though I
have not heard a word from him about it since perhaps last season.”

“Oh.”

Katara shifted to look at her. “Have I frightened you? I have frightened you, have I not?”

“Me? Oh, of course not. Your question has simply…caught me by surprise is all.”

“There you are, lying to me again.”

Toph sighed, bringing her hand up to her face and running it down her face the way she often did
when stressed. “I do not even know what I am thinking, Katara. I have not considered motherhood
until this very moment because I have never had to think about it in earnest; always in
hypotheticals.

“Up until two months or so ago, I did not believe that I would even wed, I was so against it, but I
have and—and I have been so preoccupied with the academy and with everything that I have not—
it is not something I have thought about. Or have spoken to him about.”

“I did not mean to make you wary of this,” Katara said softly. “I was genuinely wondering if you
planned on… expanding your family at all. And I am sure you can assume that I only ask because I
want nothing more than to spoil however many nieces or nephews you give me.”

“I do not know about all of that, Katara, but I assure you that if my courses do not come on a given
month, you will be the first person to know.”

Katara brought her hand to her chest in mock astonishment. “Even before my brother?”

“Indeed, even before him.”

“You had better…”

Thankfully, the conversation came to an end then, and within seconds, Toph heard the soft sounds
of Katara’s snores beside her, and she let out a breath—a mixture of relief and distress.

The idea of having children brought much trepidation to Toph, not that she had thought of it at all
recently until Katara brought it up moments ago. She laid her head against the backboard and
huffed. Toph knew well that Sokka would never pressure her into having children if she was not
ready for it, and she had a sneaking suspicion, now that she thought about it, that he had probably
not brought it up because he knew how she would respond, something she was grateful for. He
knew her well.

Of course, the topic was sure to come up one way or another, especially with the intrusive
members of the ton lurking and wanting to know each and every little thing people did. Someone
would come up to her at a ball or soirée and they would say I have a preposterous amount of gold
pieces wagered on you both siring an heir this year—are you yet with child? And then, Toph
would want to summon the biggest boulder she is able to at that moment and flatten whoever asked
with it.

It was not that she cared about what people thought about her or her marriage, she simply did not
want people in her business about things that she was unsure of or worried about.

There was little Toph feared in this lifetime, she thought as she took another breath in an attempt to
calm herself down, but she realized that her short list now included motherhood. Having to raise a
child was unimaginable to her and she knew that she would have no idea where to start.

But if Sokka was desirous of having children as he had apparently expressed to Katara in the past
and Toph ended up not wanting to give him children, that would surely put a strain on their
relationship—a likely irreparable one.

This was a conversation that needed to be had, but perhaps he should bring it up; it would give her
some time to think.

It took Toph exactly two days to bring up the topic of children to Sokka against her own decision.

Her energies, instead of being devoted to developing a written plan for her students to keep up with
their metalbending training, were dedicated to thinking about when in the world Sokka would want
to speak about having children. She wondered how long it usually took married couples to broach
the topic, whether there was a specific time period they waited after marriage to speak of children
and heirs and setting aside dowries for any daughters they would have.
She also wondered how much he would hate her if she ended up not wanting to have children. And
the truth was that she did not know the answer to that question just yet.

Her conjugal endeavors with Sokka had been wonderful, and he had made sure to spend himself
inside her less than a handful of times, so they had been more careful than other couples she knew
of. But there was still a high risk of pregnancy.

So it was still bound to happen, even if she decided that she did not want to be a mother.

Like it or not, she needed to speak with Sokka as soon as she was able to, but she had no desire to
bring it up herself.

Toph told Fen about it—having children—and Fen just fondly laughed at her, telling her that it
was normal to be nervous about such matters and that it was something she and Sokka had to talk
about at some point. Fen also told her that if she did not want to talk to him about it just yet, there
was no shame in waiting for him to want to do so.

That, Toph told her, was not the problem. The issue at hand was that she was unbeknownst to what
she wanted. She did not know if she even wanted to be a mother.

“The only way you shall know what you wish, ma’am, is if you speak with him about his desires,”
Fen said. “His point of view, his desires, will give you perspective. You are married to him now—
you make these serious, life-altering decisions together. And Sokka does not seem like the kind of
man to disregard your wants and your needs, so if you do decide you do not want children, he will
not abandon you. I am certain of that.”

Toph knew this, but she could not stop herself from thinking about the worst possible outcome of
this conversation whenever they had it, even then, as she tried to distract herself by playing a tune
on the pianoforte.

When he had finally returned from his second day of errands that week, Sokka found Toph in the
drawing room, pressing the same key on the instrument repeatedly. Immediately, he sped toward
her, scooped her off the bench amid her laughing protests, and tossed her on the large settee in front
of him.

“I missed you,” he said into her neck. “I have been thinking about you sprawled on this very piece
of furniture all day.”

“Mm, show me how much you missed me then, husband .”

“After you called me your husband without having some kind of conniption? I most certainly
will.” He playfully growled as he began to make quick work of removing her robes and kissing all
over her flesh. And as much as she tried to enjoy the moment without the question nagging at her,
she was simply unable to.

Spirits, she really needed to know what he wanted, so before she was able to stop herself, she
blurted, “Do you want children?”

Sokka’s lips, which had been working their way down to her breasts, ceased all movement. She
could feel his hot breath against her sensitive skin when he uttered, “Pardon?”

“I am mighty sure you heard me, Sokka.”

Slowly, he readjusted himself so that he was sitting up straight, knowing that the conversation was
turning serious. “Where is this coming from, Toph?”
“I—something your sister said got me thinking is all, and I began to wonder if—if you hoped to
become a father any time soon or in the future.”

Sokka was quiet for a moment, likely trying to think about what to say, but he cleared his throat
after a few seconds and took her hands after covering her bare upper body with her robes. “I would
love to be a father, so I am certainly not opposed to parenting with you. Why? Are you…?”

She snorted. “No.”

“Then what is this about?”

There was a short pause from her, then an exhale. “I am just unsure of whether I want to be a
mother.”

Sokka hummed and pulled her into his chest, a sign that he was not vexed by the conversation at
the very least. “Do you know why you are finding yourself having doubts about it? Is it—could it
be because of your parents?”

Toph reclined against him when he asked, seriously considering his question. She reflected on the
fact that she had never thought of having children and that, since she never foresaw marrying, it
was not something she thought to pay any heed to.

What Sokka presumed, however, was reasonable. Because of the way her parents had reared her,
now that she considered it, she figured that she would not be a good mother. Not only that, but her
supposed lack of desire to become a mother had nothing much to do with that; rather, it was fear.
She feared what would occur after she became a mother as well as the difficulties she would
encounter.

She would never be able to forgive herself if her child grew to harbor a small amount of enmity
against her just as Toph did for her own parents, or Spirits forbid, hate her. Lao and Poppy put
Toph through a fair share of grief as she grew and as she became someone in society and she was
only now beginning to forgive them in her own way—more so her mother than her father.

And with that, the handful of times she did think about having children before she wedded, she
never believed that she would be a good mother given her parents’ treatment toward her, so much
that they neglected to love her unconditionally as any parent should. She simply could not subject
her child to that kind of upbringing or treatment. She found it difficult enough to have previously
hidden her affliction when her parents would merely carry out their duties without showing any
sign of affection through their actions or words.

She refused to allow herself the chance to be an inadequate mother because she did not want her
child to go through what she had.

But what if she succeeded? What if she truly proved to be a good mother and exceeded all of her
own expectations?

She was quiet for a long time as she pondered upon it all, and she had not realized as much until
Sokka pressed a few kisses onto her head and tightened his embrace around her waist, pulling her
out of her thoughts. “You are not your family; you are not your parents, Toph,” he said. “If
anything, I have seen that you have learned from their mistakes what with how caring you are
toward our friends and family… and toward me.

“And it is quite evident how they love you, so that is not the issue. They would not have been so
strict when parenting you if the opposite were true. They were only… hyperfocused on you being
 properly looked after without realizing that you were doing just fine without their hovering.”

Toph remained quiet, trying to control the lump in her throat and to keep her tears from falling at
his words and her own conclusions. Spirits, there was one of the reasons why she had never
thought about this before.

“You would be a superb mother, of that I have no doubt,” he continued quietly, running his fingers
through her loose hair. “But I would never make you do something that you do not wish to do,
especially mother a child. You are quite enough for me, you know… I do not mind if it is just the
two of us for as long as we live. Besides, we are sure to have a brood of nieces and nephews if we
count on my sister, so I am happy with whatever decision you make.”

She allowed a small smile at that and she angled her face toward him, at which point he kissed her
sweetly. As much as she had drawn conclusions about why she did not know whether she wanted
children, she was still undecided on the matter, so she told him so.

“We are in no rush, and if you do, someday, decide that you want children, we may have that
discussion,” he replied calmly against her lips before pulling back. Then, he asked, “Did you wish
to take any, erm, preventative measures in the meanwhile?”

She surprised herself when she shook her head. “We have not been doing so—why start now?”

“Well… I do not want you to become enceinte if you are not ready for it.”

“I suppose that…” Toph sighed, clutching his hand for dear life before sitting up and turning her
body toward him. “I suppose that if it is meant to happen—if I am meant to be a mother—then that
is how it will be… the decision will be made for me. So no preventative measures.”

“Are you certain?”

Again, she shocked herself by letting out a shaky sigh and saying, “Whatever will be will be, hm?”

“Toph…”

“I am serious, you dunderhead. Now make love to me as good husbands should.”

He hesitated for a few seconds, not wanting to take her at her word until she grabbed him by his
robes and pulled him on top of her as she laid flat against the settee. She pushed his garments off
his shoulders and down his torso, then ran her hands up and down the warm skin on his chest. It
took him no time to respond after that as he kissed down her neck and continued the work he had
left undone before their conversation.

Whatever will be will be.

Chapter End Notes

it's the way we're nearing the end of this and I've procrastinated on writing the
epilogue for months

it's fine, we're fine

hope you enjoyed this one :D

 Chapter 23
Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

To be completely honest, Toph was the slightest bit paranoid.

Each morning since she and Sokka spoke about becoming parents a month prior, she would wake
and pat around the sheets to find a damp spot and felt an odd combination of relief and
disappointment when she found none.

Oh, how she missed the days in which she did not preoccupy herself with the lack of her courses.

She stretched out her limbs after ensuring that the sheets were clean, and then she reached over to
the other side of the bed only to find it empty. She sighed. Even after a while of this happening, she
was still not used to not waking up beside him every morning.

He had been so busy recently, trying to get everything together with the council people in Gaoling
as he, Zuko, and Aang penned letters to send out across the four nations and notifying them of their
urgent need to meet.

Toph and Katara did not even try to understand what was occurring with them and their plan, they
were only able to hope that they managed to convince the leaders of the nation to concede to an
audience with them all. Odds were in their favor, however, according to the men, since the plead
was coming from powerful and recognizable names—a future viscount, a duke, the fire lord and
lady, and a Beifong. They also had not been turned down, which was a miracle in itself.

The very least they would get was an invitation to the council building in Ba Sing Se at the end of
all of this, and that was exactly what they were aiming for.

And this morning, Sokka had told her the evening prior as he kissed her senseless, the most
important meeting was to take place—the one meeting that would determine their next step,
whether they should give it all up or persevere and conjure up a plan for when they spoke to the
council and the four nations’ leaders.

He was also overly… cheery when they had gone to bed the night before. She asked him what he
was hiding and he just shrugged and nuzzled his face into her neck and said, “I just have a good
feeling.”

She let it go, but she remained suspicious. No one is just that happy for no reason. She should
know.

Bracing herself for the long day ahead, Toph swung her legs off the bed and rang for Fen to help
her get ready for the day. She took a long, hot bath with a plethora of different earthy soaps that she
had been meaning to test, and remained in the cooling water until she pruned. Then, she dressed
and took breakfast in the morning room, where she felt the warm sun against her skin as it came in
through the windows, trying to keep her mind blank but miserably failing.

“I need something to do,” Toph announced, dropping her half-eaten bread roll onto her plate before
draining the rest of the tea in her cup. “I am going to go mad if I stay here, laying in wait, and I
cannot leave the house or I might miss when Sokka returns with the news. So I am in a bit of a
pickle.”
Fen sucked in a breath as she thought of something she was able to suggest. Once she did, she
snapped her fingers. “You have not yet invited the ladies over to the household formally, have you?
Perhaps you can have them over for tea, maybe a dip in the lake behind the gardens?”

“You, dear Fen, are a genius.” Toph beamed at her lady’s maid as she stood up to land an
affectionate strike on her arm. “What would I ever do without you?”

“Erm, I believe go mad were your exact words a few seconds ago.”

Toph paused and pointed a sarcastic finger at her. “Just because you know me well, does not mean
you get to be wise.”

“I beg to differ.”

“Oh. Oh, I do love you and I must remind myself of that fact every day.”

“Now that, I do believe, except for the part that you must remind yourself of a cold, hard fact,” Fen
replied with a smile. “I shall let the kitchen know to begin preparing some finger foods for you and
the ladies just after I send out the letters to Lady Katara and Nǚshì Suki.”

With a nod of confirmation, Toph returned to her half-eaten roll and spread some jam on it,
attempting to calm herself down and look forward to the arrival of her friends.

As it turned out, an afternoon with the ladies was all Toph needed to rid herself of any nerves and
uneasiness she awoke with. While it was true that she was still a bit worried about the outcome of
the final meeting Sokka, Zuko, and Aang were having with the council, she was much less
distracted by that than the gossip Suki and Katara had managed to compile from the social events
Toph had missed.

Despite it being only some weeks, it seemed as though what she missed had been quite significant.

“Ty Lee is betrothed?”

“A lot can happen in a few weeks,” Suki told her and tossed a rock in Toph’s direction that she
easily caught. “You are the expert on the very subject considering your marriage to Sokka.”

Toph ignored the warmth that began to spread across her cheeks as Katara said, “She is not
wrong…”

“You were saying about Ty Lee…?”

“Oh, right,” Suki muttered, taking a sip of her tea before continuing. “She was convinced that
Sokka would one day render a marriage proposal out of the blue, so once you got the man off the
market, she began her search because, in her words, she would not let society see her as a spinster.”

“The punchline is that she looked at Suki as she said so the week after you got married,” Katara
added. “And I could not help but agree…”

“Oh do come off it, Katara. I do not plan on marrying anybody. I am content as I am, and I will be
more so if the boys get you your word with the leaders and the council. I can only imagine my
happiness when I am finally able to compile my team of warriors.”

Toph frowned at that because she knew that feeling all too well, hence the reason why she even
started her academy. Suki really wanted this, she knew that, and the fact that she was depending on
the fools in charge to approve what she sought broke Toph’s heart just a bit.

It may not have seemed like it, but there was a lot at stake for them.

For the rest of the afternoon, the ladies spoke and spoke about nothing and everything. A lot of it
involved ton gossip, and more of it involved Katara trying to get Suki to reconsider her
spinsterhood because Suki was the only woman out of their circle to be unmarried. Toph found
herself rather entertained because she was no longer the one under people’s thumbs in regard to
such matters. Still, she sided with Suki because had it not been for everything that happened, Toph
rather believed that she would remain unmarried.

Both Suki and Katara laughed in her face disbelievingly and Toph earthbent them into the lake.

When they dried off and they all ate some more of their pastries, allowing the sun to warm their
skin, Toph felt Sokka’s footsteps walking quickly into and around the house.

“They are here,” Toph said, laying her hand flat against the ground. “They have—they must have
gotten news because Sokka is—they are here!”

Scrambling to her feet, Toph took off in the direction of the house with Suki and Katara on her
heels. They were all radiating excitement and nerves because they all, in a way, depended on this
more than anything. This would be an enormous step for women and benders and warriors in this
world, and they would get to do what they wanted to do with their abilities rather than not do
anything at all. Or, in Toph’s case, she would actually get to do it legally.

She barreled into her husband as soon as she made it into their home, and he responded to the
abrupt slam into his body with a grunt and a hearty laugh.

“That eager to see me, lover?”

“Hush up and tell me whether we have a meeting or not,” Toph commanded, the voices of her best
friends chattering behind her in agreement.

Sokka pressed a kiss to her forehead before taking her hand and saying, “We have a meeting.”

Toph was paralyzed with happiness as soon as the words left his mouth. Someone—Katara, she
thought—pulled her in for a hug as the tears that gathered in her eyes fell onto her cheeks.

They got it. They had actually gotten it.

“They expect us to show up in Ba Sing Se at the King’s palace at precisely noon in a sennight,”
Zuko announced amid everyone’s celebratory exclamations, effectively bringing Toph back down
from her cloud. “We will have to start preparing for the trip as soon as we possibly can and take the
family carriages out.”

Sokka squeezed Toph’s hand. “Precisely. We will make several stops along the way to get proper
rest at any inns we come across before arriving at Ba Sing Se. It should take us no more than six
days to arrive if we depart tomorrow morning, giving us time to rest up before the meeting the day
after we arrive.”

“I can be at your estate by morning, Suki,” Aang finally spoke. “I should think we would want to
leave the love birds to their devices in their own carriages; therefore, you can ride with me. We can
meet everyone here in the morning after I have collected you.”

“Oh, you are certainly right about that,” Suki muttered with a teasing smile on her face. “Do you
mind walking me over now so that I may get a head start on packing?”

Aang, of course, accepted, and their two friends bade adieu, leaving Sokka, Toph, Zuko, and
Katara behind.

“We should start getting our things together as well,” Zuko said. “But I find that leaving from the
same location would be an intelligent move, yes? Katara and I can return after we have done our
packing for the trip and stay the night if that is quite alright with you both.”

“I agree with this,” Katara said, taking her place next to Toph. “Though, I am very sorry to inform
you, brother, that you are to lose your wife to me, yet again.”

Sokka huffed. “That is quite alright, sister. Zuko and I will be fine without you two.”

Zuko remained silent, but everyone was able to perceive his disagreement with Sokka’s statement,
causing the ladies to burst out laughing.

Not long after they said their goodbyes, for the time being, Sokka pulled Toph up and into their
bedchamber and touched his lips to hers sweetly. His hands cradled her face and she could feel his
smile against her mouth as he kissed her.

“We did it, my love,” he whispered into her mouth. “And you are going to get what we want. You
will.”

Toph gave him one final kiss before resting her head on his chest, finding comfort in his heartbeat.
She wanted to be entirely happy about this but something was preventing her from embracing the
positivity of this news. She had a sneaking suspicion that it was because she was unsure of whether
or not this endeavor would pay off or not. Though she was not going to risk much of anything by
doing this if she failed to convince the council to legalize bending, she and others would still be
forced to hide away what they wanted to do. She didn’t want that, not with the possibility of things
changing looming.

“I really hope you are right.”

Sokka took her hand and brushed a strand of her hair behind her ear tenderly. “I am. I may not be
about many things, but when it comes to you, I am always on the nose.”

She had to laugh at that and she gave him a playful shove. “Of course, of course. My mistake for
ever doubting the expert on all things Toph Beifong.”

“Exactly—how dare you?” he kissed her again, making her worries melt away momentarily. He
pulled away from her and caressed her cheek. “All will be fine. Trust me.”

“But—”

“Trust me.”

“Fine, yes, yes.” Toph bit back a smile. “I trust you, now will you stop it?”

“That depends.”

“On?”

Sokka took her by the waist and pulled her flush into him. “On whether or not you stop worrying
yourself into incognizance.”
Her lips twitched upward, her hands trailing up his chest and to his neck. “I am going to need a
distraction for that to be possible, to be sure.”

“In that case,” Sokka said, successfully picking her up as if she weighed nothing and tossing her
onto the bed, “we had better hurry up if we want to get you distracted before Zuko and my sister
return.”

“Oh, I know you have it in you, darling.”

The subsequent week is long with many a restless night spent in the company of her best friends or
in the warm, much-needed embrace of her husband. There was not much else that she spent her
time traveling to Ba Sing Se thinking about other than the fact that this would either be the
legitimate start of her career or the continuation of her illegitimate one. And as much as it shouldn’t
have affected her, it did because she wanted to expand her business, she wanted to teach others the
art of metalbending, an art that so many believed to be an impossibility.

She wished to share her knowledge, her abilities, and if she did not succeed at persuading the
council of why legalization was a good idea, she might not have had the opportunity to do so. She
would have to continue finding people at balls and soirées and hope against hope that they did not
spread the word about what she was doing. The last thing she needed was someone to investigate
her temple and discover what she was up to. It was all so risky and it was her ass on the line—she
would never name anyone else as her accomplice. This was her doing and her doing only, and in
the eyes of everyone, no other person knew or was involved.

When the morning of the meeting finally arrived, Toph was all out of sorts. She had not slept a
wink the night prior because all she could manage to do was go over what she was going to say in
her head repeatedly. She continuously found issues with something she was going to say and ended
up tweaking it, causing her to stress over how things would turn out.

It took Sokka to tell her that she was never like this—that despite the significance of this meeting,
there was no reason for her to put so much pressure on herself.

“You are extraordinary,” he had told her in the middle of the night, his face in her neck. “You
should not worry about this, you know what to tell them, and you know they will listen even if
they do not seem as though they would.”

Toph had simply nodded, deciding that she should listen to his words and take them at face value.
Sokka would not have been pushing her to do this if he did not believe in her, and she knew that he
did.

All would be well.

The group of four took breakfast at the final inn they stood at—something simple composed of
eggs and toast—then, they set out for the palace, which was not far from where they stood the
night. It took them only minutes to arrive.

She spent the entire ride bouncing her leg despite Sokka’s attempts to calm her. There was just too
much riding on her saying her piece.

By the time they arrived and were escorted to the vestibule of the Ba Sing Se royal palace, it was
nearing noon. They were informed that the king and the rest of the leaders—which included Zuko,
despite the conflict of interest it would create between the two of them—would be ready to begin
the meeting shortly.
Sokka’s thumbs were rubbing soothing circles into her shoulders as they waited. She was unsettled
and, quite frankly, slightly irate.

To name but one reason, Toph had never been a fan of Ba Sing Se. It was a representation of
everything she abhorred in real life. If she thought Gaoling was bad during a given social season,
Ba Sing Se was even worse. People would act snobbish and arrogant and imperious all because
they lived more comfortably than others. It was disgusting.

Still, she had to be there because it was important and she had to get this done. She was not going
to stand by for another minute without getting what she wanted and she was determined to get it no
matter what came her way.

She was still a nervous wreck, though she would never make that known to others.

“You are going to be exceptional today.”

Toph scoffed. “Well, of course I am.”

“Then what is it that troubles you?” he asked after letting out a snort at her confidence. “Do you
fear that despite how much you fight for this, you will be turned down?”

There was a part of her that hated that Sokka knew her so very well. In part, however, she
appreciated not having to speak her thoughts so frequently—she was never one to be keen to share
her thoughts and emotions, and having someone to know what crosses her mind every so often
was… agreeable.

Her silence must have been a good enough response for him because he leaned down and pressed a
few kisses onto the top of her head. “I have seen you command a room as though it was your job
without even intending to. You have this. You are going to do fine, and they will listen to you.”

“And if they do not?”

“Then you make them listen.”

She resisted the strong urge to scoff again. It was easy for him to say, of course, because he has
never had to fight for his right to merely exist the way she and Katara and Suki and the rest of the
women in this world have had to do since the very beginning of their lives. There was so much that
she was risking, so much that would be lost if these world leaders did not comprehend what was
being said to them. And it would be on her conscience.

Toph huffed in frustration, and just when she was about to tell Sokka some unkind words about his
knowledge of the state of the respect of men toward womanhood, she felt the approach of someone
she had not expected to encounter.

“Satoru—I—whatever are you doing here?”

With a laugh, Satoru bowed his head and replied, “It is quite lovely to run into you as well, Toph.
And Sokka, of course.”

Sokka stuck his hand out to shake Satoru’s amicably and greeted him. Toph was stunned.

“You—why are you here?” And why are you acting so amicably toward Sokka?

Satoru laughed again. “I actually got a word from your husband about this all happening today, and
I came by to offer my support and help in any way possible, though, considering what I know
about you, I am quite sure that you have it handled.”

“From Sokka, did you?”

“Indeed. I received a letter from him last evening, mentioning that there would be an important
affair involving the state of bending and the rights of women and benders alike, and he said that he
was certain that I would be interested in attending since you would be delivering an address,” he
replied.

Toph shook her head, still stuck on the fact that this was even happening. “Sokka—he contacted
you about this?”

Was she ill? Was she having a fever dream like those Katara described to her once?

He nodded. “Your husband figured that you might want everyone you knew by your side, and I
was unable to decline.”

“And you came,” Toph said aloud, though he had not meant to. “You came despite what I did to
you.”

“You did nothing to me, Toph. If anything, you helped me realize what I want, what I need in my
life. What I deserve,” he told her in earnest. He was not lying. “You served as a very important
person in my life, so I do not want to hear any of that self-deprecating speak coming from you.”

Her lips twitched at that and she reached out to give him a gentle shove against the shoulder.
“Well, I thank you. For this, and for being a better man than what any woman can ever wish for.”

That was when Sokka decided to speak. “I am just here.”

Though Satoru laughed because he was meant to and what Sokka said sounded like a right joke,
Toph could hear that the undertone of his comment was laden with jealousy. She had to keep from
laughing right then.

“You are the only man she will ever see, Xiansheng Sokka,” Satoru said. “You need not worry
about any of that any longer.”

“I—I was not.”

Toph rolled her eyes and nudged her elbow into his stomach. “Of course not, dear .”

At that, Satoru laughed and bade the couple adieu, making for another group of people who he
seemed to be acquainted with.

She found herself happy, despite the surprise, at his appearance there. And the fact that Sokka had
arranged it so that Satoru had gone made her heart swell.

Still, his jealousy some moments ago brought her unspeakable elation, so she twisted in his arms to
face him and wrapped her arms around his neck. “That Satoru is quite the charmer, do you not
think so?”

Sokka’s response was a grunt and the tightening of his grip on her waist. She grinned.

“Too bad I was unable to marry him instead,” she added, making a show of pouting in the direction
of the man she was formerly courting. “We would have made beautiful children.”

“Do not even jest about that.”

She grinned wickedly. “Oh, but why ever not? It is so very fun to make you squirm in this way.”

“I shall show you squirming when we return home tomorrow evening, and we shall see who out of
the two of us gets the last laugh.”

His breath was hot against her ear and she was this close to allowing him to undo her right there
and then, not caring that they were surrounded by their nearest and dearest and were due to have an
audience with those spineless councilmen and leaders (and Zuko). What stopped her, however, was
yet another familiar warm body approaching her.

This time, she went entirely stiff at this person’s appearance.

“Sokka.”

“Done teasing me, are you?”

She ignored him. “Sokka, what in the name of Agni is my father doing here?”

He cleared his throat awkwardly. “Ah, yes, about that…”

The sudden urge she had of ejecting Sokka to the ends of the earth entered her head right then. She
had expressly told him to not mention a word of these happenings to her father, but he had done just
that. Spirits, she wanted to kick his ass. But before she was able to make good on her desire, Lao
Beifong stood directly before them.

“Toph, Sokka.”

“Father.”

Silence blanketed the three of them like a hug from a flame. The air was tense and Toph couldn’t
help but think the worst of what was to come of this interaction. And she was going to say as much
until her father surprised her by speaking first.

“I am very proud of you, dearest.”

Toph’s eyes widened at the sound of her father’s voice, so soft and unlike what she had grown used
to under his roof all her life. And to hear him say that he was proud of her… it seemed surreal, so
the only thing she was able to say was, “Beg pardon?”

When Sokka gave her hand a gentle squeeze before letting her go to give her and her father a bit of
privacy, Lao let a reluctant hand fall upon her shoulder. “I know that I do not tell you as much as I
should—or, frankly, at all—but I am so very proud of you and the fact that I am able to call you my
daughter.

“Look at all you have achieved… you have done this on your own, with no help from anyone, and
as much as I am…against you putting yourself in harm’s way, I cannot make myself believe that
you will tarnish the family name any longer because I am certain that you are not.”

Her chest tightened at his words, and despite trying to find even a smidge of dishonesty in his voice
or in his heartbeat, she was unable to find any. All she was able to detect was the truth. He was
telling her the truth.

Lao Beifong, the coldest man she had ever come to know, was proud of her and he trusted her to
not bring a curtain of shame upon their family.
Toph could not bring herself to speak, all the words she knew, were gone with the wind. Her mouth
opened and shut various times before she managed a squeaked, “Thank you, Father.”

“Why, you have no need to thank me, Toph—it is I who must thank you… and apologize to you for
being so unnecessarily tough on you.”

“I would not say unnecessarily,” Toph admitted in a mutter. “I am well aware that I was and still
am a handful.”

Lao let out a booming laugh at his daughter’s comment. “That is for certain, yes, but I—I cannot
help but think that you grew up with the idea that I—that I did not love you, when, my dear, that is
so very far from the truth.”

This time, Toph was seriously unable to respond—she was too stunned to speak. The world had to
have been ending, to be sure, because never in her life had her father ever uttered any kind of words
of affection to her, not even to her mother.

The words sounded foreign coming from him, as though it had been the first time he had ever said
them in his entire life.

Her father cleared his throat, forcing her out of her thoughts. “Well, I best be going, Toph. But I—I
am confident that this will be a fruitful meeting. I wish you the best of luck during your address.”

Toph was standing frozen when her father left and Sokka returned to her. He took her hands in his
and brought them to his lips.

“Are you well?”

She did not know if she was being entirely frank. This had been a version of Lao Beifong that
Toph had never before seen, and that she was sure no one else in her life had seen. She was unsure
of how she was supposed to feel, but she appreciated his kindness and what she could sense was
honesty.

So Toph simply gave Sokka a shrug as a response, then asked, “You invited him here? After I told
you not to?”

“I know that you told me not to,” he said carefully, “but I could not allow this monumental
moment to be missed by him. He has been so very hard on you all your life without knowing what
you are made of, and—and that angers me. You deserve for him to see you at your very best,
achieving what no one before you has ever done before. And, well, if you wish to be angry with me
for telling him to come along, then so be it, but I find that—that I made the right decision—”

Toph quieted him with her lips, a tender hand on his cheek. Warmth spread from her chest to her
feet as their lips moved in sync and his arms went around her waist, pulling her closer to him. She
poured her appreciation into the kiss, all the love she had for him. By the time they pulled away,
she was breathless. They both were.

“Thank you,” she whispered against his lips.

Sokka seemed stunned, which made the corners of her mouth twitch upward. He said, “You are
quite welcome.”

She had the opportunity to give him one final peck before Zuko approached them and told them,
“Right, then, lovebirds. It is time.”
 With a final squeeze to her hand from Sokka, Toph followed Zuko and the guards who
accompanied him into the meeting room. She could tell that there was a large table in the very
center, and fourteen people sitting around it, all stoic and cold from what she was able to tell. Zuko
took the empty seat near the end of the table.

A man, who she immediately recognized as King Kuei, cut right to the chase, introducing the likes
of the cold bodies in the room, including King Bumi of Omashu, and several other world leaders
and councilmen who she did not care to know.

Kuei addressed her, “Nǚshì Naitok—”

“Beifong.”

“Pardon?”

“I do not know if you were informed—not that you had to have been, I could very well care less if
you were—but my name is Toph Beifong and it will remain Toph Beifong forevermore despite my
marital status. I would appreciate it if you addressed me as such this afternoon.”

The king of Ba Sing Se sat stunned for a moment before nodding once and saying, “Very well,
Nǚshì Beifong. Please, tell us your reasons for coming here today.”

You bloody know why I am here today, you nitwit, Toph wanted to say, but swallowed thickly
before replying, “I am here to implore you to reconsider your decision to outlaw elemental bending
and competitive combat for the sake of the citizens of the world, such as myself and many others.”

She heard a scoff from one side of the room that made her want to charge at them like a Gemsbok
bull, but she contained herself as the councilman said, “Are you truly able to, in earnest, give us
founded and valid reasoning as to why elemental bending and combat should be made legal?
Reasoning that would overshadow the dangers that it is capable of bringing? If you are, you have
our ears, Nǚshì Beifong, because if we are being entirely honest, we have been eager to hear what
a simple gentlewoman such as yourself has to say about matters that do not involve her or her
kind.”

“My kind, sir?”

“Women, dear. Do keep up.”

Toph angled her head toward where the councilman sat pompously in his position of power and
shot at him the most defiant and accurate glare she was able to muster. She was satisfied when she
felt him squirm.

His words, so belittling and degrading, only served to fuel what she planned on saying rather than
anger her. She cleared her throat and smiled wickedly before launching into the utterance that
would ultimately make or break the fate of benders far and wide.

All she had to do was not send them all to the depths of hell for the bullshit they were spewing, and
that was sure to give her a run for her money.

Chapter End Notes

a satoru appearance! we love those!

we also love that this is the final chapter before the final chapter hehe. so there will be
a... long epilogue after this chapter, plus another extended epilogue, plus a bonus
chapter 16 (which is still in the works)

once this fic has reached its end, I'll announce the ~spin-offs~ and plans for this
regency series <3

thanks so much and i hope you enjoy!

 Chapter 24
Chapter Notes

dedicating this final chapter to fourthtimesthecharm for this fic that inspired the idea
of the introduction of a certain Beifong to this story! please go read it rn rn if you
haven't - it's probably one of my favorites that have been written recently

also, I have removed the Azula and Azulaang tags from this fic because I’m getting
constant comments asking me where Azula is lol. I don’t want lines crossed or for
anyone to get annoyed that their fav isn’t as present as they expected them to be
despite me appropriately tagging this fic and her being a background character

Without further ado, pls enjoy the final—but not quite—chapter of this fic <3

See the end of the chapter for more notes

September 1818

“Keep your knees high, lilylivers!” Toph shouted as she made her way around her dojo, monitoring
her larger crop of metalbending students. “Focus on that gut furnace we were working on earlier!”

The grunts of her students made her have to bite back a smile. She could tell how hard they were
working, she could tell that they wanted this to work out as much as she did, and she could not be
more elated.

What she had worked so hard for throughout an entire year was finally happening. Toph could
finally say that she was the proud owner and main instructor of Toph Beifong’s Bending Academy
with one hundred and thirteen students and counting. Though, she could not take all the credit on
her own; she had some help from her friends.

After approval from the council came and Toph experienced the lovely sound of quill on parchment
as the stuffy councilmen and leaders (and Zuko) signed the agreement to legitimize bending and
combat, Toph broke the news to all her friends about the secret of her metalbending academy. Suki
and Zuko, though perplexed at the fact that she handled it all without either of them noticing, were
unsurprised that she managed the feat in itself.

That day, Zuko had said, “How did I not catch onto this? I was working with you to get you to open
up this academy, correct?”

“You were, more or less,” Toph replied with a smile. “But the bending legitimization of it was the
most important part, so no harm, no foul.”

She did not have to possess the sense of sight to know that he had glared at her. She knew that he
was happy for her, nonetheless, and that meant more than anything.

As for Suki, she took the news in stride and approached Toph the day after she was told about the
secret metalbending academy. She immediately began to wonder whether she was able to recruit
Kyoshi Warriors to honor the late and historic female soldier, Kyoshi, and train them at the
academy. Eventually, she told Toph, her plan was for her students to become similar to the Bow
Street Runners. Toph could not decline.

Not only that but Katara also took advantage of the space despite her swelling abdomen and Zuko’s
protests. There was a lake just behind the temple, one that Toph had not even noticed until Katara
herself brought it up, so there were also waterbending lessons taking place in the academy, so long
as the master herself was in for the season and able to teach.

Hell, even Ty Lee had reserved a dojo in the newly remodeled temple to teach the art of chi-
blocking. This was after Toph had approached her reluctantly following a long talk from Katara
about forgiving people for their idiocies. Ty Lee groveled, though, and Toph was quite content to
let her teach after then.

And so the idea of Toph Beifong’s Metalbending Academy evolved into this much larger idea of a
collective to house all bending and combat.

It was bittersweet to know that her academy was no longer her secret. She had spent so much time
trying to protect it that to have it out in the world now, with so many people matriculating and so
many more marveling at the classes and credentials of the people running it, required an emotional
adjustment on her part.

But she was happy. She was completely happy with where her life was currently and there was
nothing that she found could hinder it.

And Sokka had been quite literally the best person she was able to ask for. He had been supportive
in a way that no one else had been in her life before and there was no one she wanted at her side
more than him. She never knew how much she would need him or love him, but she did.

As for Aang, he was still very much engaging with Azula. The last time he and Toph had been in
each other’s presence was for the grand opening of the academy. From then on, only she and
Katara could properly venture to guess where in the world he was. It has been weeks and the both
of them were betting on the fact that he and Azula were very likely married at that point.

Oh, the disaster that would ensue when Zuko found out. Because, eventually, he would, and Spirits
knew that it would not be a sight for sore eyes, so to speak.

But to say that things had been going swimmingly since bending and combat—and contests—was
an understatement, and she could not be more grateful for the fact.

When she concluded her final class for the day and dismissed her students, Toph wondered where
Sokka was. He had been absent the entire day, only telling her that he had errands to run and not
expanding upon such information any further. Of course, she was plenty curious, but she trusted
him.

That, however, did not mean that she was not going to the bottom of it once she was able to.

Toph did her usual sweep around the academy, telling her friends and coworkers her goodbyes for
the evening and weekend, and dragged her feet tiredly over to her study. She grasped her
belongings, gave a stomp on the ground to inspect the room, and furrowed her brows.

There was someone there. A child, hiding away behind the metal Earth Kingdom shield she had
bent in order to, in Katara’s words, liven up the place . The figure was small, a child most likely,
one who was not a student at the academy—she would have known if it had been.

Toph was truly not in the mood to have to tend to a hoodlum.

She waited a few moments, leaning against her desk, to give the child a chance to leave, but when
they did not, she took a few steps in the direction of the shield, and said, “If you know what is good
for you, you will make yourself known to me and there will likely be no consequences for you.”

No response.

“I am about to close the academy for the day, and it is in your best interest to remove yourself from
the premises if you do not want any harm to come to you.”

Again, no response.

An eye roll. “I know that there is someone here, so it is best that you show yourself before I make
you regret not doing so.”

There was another bout of silence before a quiet voice said, “Please, do not hurt me. Please.”

Toph immediately let her defenses crumble and she quickly made her way toward the small figure,
her hands out in front of her to show that she was no longer a threat. “Are you well, child?”

There was some shuffling and a small sniffle, then, the little girl shyly nodded.

“What are you doing here, then?”

“I had—I did not have anywhere else to go… please do not make me leave.”

Toph brought her hand up to her neck and sighed shakily before standing up and resting her hands
on her hips. This child was clearly abandoned, or something must have happened to her parents for
her to have just shown up at the academy with no one to accompany her. And Toph could not just
leave her there, with no food or water or somewhere to sleep when she had it all. So, she made a
split-second decision.

“Indeed, I will be making you leave,” Toph said, then outstretched her hand to help the little girl
up. “But you will be coming home with me, understood?”

The girl was frozen for a few moments but slowly nodded, taking her time to slip her tiny hand into
Toph’s and hold on tightly. Spirits, she was so small. All Toph wanted to do was take her in and
protect her for however long she was able to.

“What is your name, girl?”

“Lin.”

“Mm, very well, Lin. My name is Toph. Toph Beifong,” she said as she guided her out of the
academy and toward an awaiting chaise. She paused. “Have you ever ridden in a carriage?”

The little girl—Lin—shook her head.

“Should you like to?”

No longer appearing too shy, she nodded eagerly and pulled Toph’s arm toward the carriage in
front of them, eliciting a surprised yet charmed laugh from Toph.

They settled into the seat comfortably, and Lin did not let go of Toph’s hand once throughout the
entire ride home.
Toph was beginning to believe that she was in over her head. Clearly.

It did not help that once they stepped into the household, Haitao was the first to greet them with a
scrutinizing reaction. For a moment, he stood, gaping at the sight of his Mistress Toph Beifong
with a child, but he quickly got himself composed and directed them to the drawing room with no
questions asked. He let them know that he had rung for food for her and for Lin when they settled
down, and he stepped out quickly to guard the front door as he usually did.

Then, Fen walked into the room and actually froze in her spot when she saw Lin, making Toph
grimace.

“That is a child.”

Toph nodded, standing up to meet her lady’s maid at the doorway. “Indeed.”

“Are you keeping her?”

“I do not know. I—I would—I think that I would like to if she has no home.”

Fen peered over Toph’s shoulder to look at Lin, who sat quietly in the middle of the drawing room,
humming a little song that Toph could not identify.

“What do you know about her? Is she—where are her parents?”

“That is precisely what I am attempting to find out. She has not told me anything other than her
name and the fact that she had been sleeping at the academy since it opened to the public.” Toph
scoffed to herself. “I cannot believe I did not notice.”

“No, no. You cannot blame yourself. At the very least, she is safe and you managed to bring her
here,” Fen replied, giving Toph’s arm a reassuring squeeze. “Maybe if we get some food in her,
she will talk. I know that that is how I used to get you to speak with me when you were not much
older than that little one.”

Toph snorted. “I have already asked Haitao to ring for some. And thank you, Fen.”

“It is no issue. I shall gather some playthings from the basement. I am sure that your mama packed
a trunkful of them in hopes that you would one day give her grandchildren. I remember seeing one
back in Beifong House when we were moving you over.”

“But of course. How could I have doubted that she had done something of the sort?” Toph
chuckled. Though, she was grateful for the fact now that she had Lin in her care. At least for the
time being.

“I will be back soon to perhaps help attempt to get little Lin to become more comfortable.”

Shortly after Fen walked off, Haitao returned with a selection of food, all of which smelled
wonderful. He served Lin a plate and set it on the small table across from the pianoforte. It took
Toph to reassure her that she was able to go on and eat it for her to even take a seat at the table.

Not cutting any corners, Toph sat across from her, grabbed a cheese cube, and popped it in her
mouth before asking, “Where are your parents, Lin?”

She chewed a bit and took a sip of juice before responding, “They died.”

Toph’s masticating abruptly stopped and she swallowed thickly. “They—do you mind telling me
how?”

“They were ill. A fever, I think.”

A fever, likely typhus. It had been going around for a few months to the date and was becoming
graver and graver across the four nations. Toph’s heart hurt for Lin.

“Do you have any other family that I can correspond with, perhaps? So we may get you home?”

Lin shook her little head. “No. And I left home, so I do not have one.”

Despite being incredibly impressed by the way that this child, no more than five years old, was
speaking, Toph could not think past the fact that Lin was alone in the world with nowhere or no
one to call her home. She could feel her chest tightening and her throat aching with the need to cry,
but she kept herself together.

“You will stay with me,” Toph told Lin firmly after swallowing the lump in her throat. “You will
stay with me and my—my husband. We will not replace your family, but we will make sure that
you are provided for and— oomph.”

Lin interrupted Toph with a tight embrace. Her little arms were hugging her waist so tightly that
Toph had to wonder where a girl so small and frail-looking could possibly muster all her strength.
Her little face was buried in her chest and Toph could feel tears dampening her robes, but all she
was able to do was rub Lin’s back comfortingly and hold back her own.

They sat like that for a while until Lin decided to crawl into Toph’s lap and cry there for a bit in the
warmth of her embrace, but when she had finally calmed herself, Lin moved back onto her chair,
held Toph’s hand, and continued to work on her meal.

Something was blooming in Toph’s chest then. She could not very well pinpoint what it was at all,
but she felt overwhelmed by emotions suddenly, and all she wanted was to make Lin happy.

It was beyond her how was she already feeling so attached to an individual she met not two hours
heretofore.

And she had not even told Sokka.

She knew that he wanted children, to be sure, they had spoken about that already. But how would
he feel about her bringing a semi-developed one home as their ward? Without discussing it first? It
was true that marriages were about compromise and whatever shit Katara told her so constantly,
but how would he react to this?

When Fen finally arrived with the playthings she had promised, Toph waited for Lin to finish
devouring her trillionth helping of food and rang for a maid to run Lin a bath to rid her of the soot
and dirt that Toph could feel on her.

Twenty or so minutes later, Lin returned with a fresh set of clothes, which Fen said she had found
along with the toys, and smelling of some flower Toph was too distracted to identify. Within
moments, she was sifting through the large trunk of toys that was set in the middle of the drawing
room.

Toph stood up and paced back and forth across the room, inelegantly nibbling at the skin on her
thumb. Had she been less apprehensive about Sokka’s reaction to bringing home a tiny human, she
might have been more entertained by Lin’s amazement at the items and food in front of her. But
she was too uneasy.
As Lin was finishing up her second helping of a recently-made egg custard tart, her wooden doll in
hand, Toph heard the sound of the front door opening and shutting and the voices of Sokka and
Haitao in the distance. She steeled herself. If Sokka had a problem with this, then she would tell
him to go to hell for all she cared.

She cared a great deal what he thought about this, however, so she would fib if it came to it
because Toph could live her life just fine without Sokka—the trouble was that she did not want to.

There was a pep in his step, she could tell, and she wondered why that was for a split second before
she remembered the task at hand. And once he stepped into the drawing room with a presumably
large grin on his face, she did not even greet him before saying, “I found a child.”

He stopped in his tracks, then took a few slow steps in her direction, his head facing where Lin was
sitting. Then, he lowered his face down to hers to press a chaste kiss on her lips. “You found a
child.”

“And I brought her home as a ward.”

“I can see that, yes.”

“Surely you do not have a problem with that because if you do, I assure you that I will pack up my
things and Lin and never look back.”

Somehow, she could tell that Sokka was trying to hold back a laugh as he placed his hands on her
hips and pulled her into him, pressing a number of kisses up her neck and her jaw, then leaving
another one upon her lips. “You will not be ridding yourself of me that easily, Toph Beifong.”

“Oh.” Toph softened, grabbing a hold of her husband’s forearms. “Well. In that case… her name is
Lin—”

“I gathered as much.”

“—and I found her hidden in one of the classrooms at the academy,” she whispered. “It seemed to
me that she had been there for quite a while before I discovered her. I should have noticed. I do not
know how I did not…”

Sokka cupped her cheeks with his hands. “This is not your fault—you have had a lot on your plate.
And you should be happy for discovering her when you did,” he told her then released her to look
over at Lin. “Does she—she seems healthy, does she not? Maybe we should have Katara take a
look at her to be safe.”

She nodded. “I was thinking the same thing. I do not know if she was ill before she found her way
to the academy considering the fact that her parents…” Toph shook her head, swallowing the lump
in her throat. “I should hope she is not currently. I would hate for her to suffer any more than she
likely already has.”

“Right then, I must meet Lin if she is to be our ward, must I not?”

Toph bit back a smile as he strode over to Lin. She could tell that he was a tad nervous in the way
he walked and in the way his heart pattered in his chest and into the ground where she was able to
feel it. To her, it was touching that he was so accepting of this little girl—as accepting as she had
been, in fact—without being previously informed of the idea.

Spirits, she really, truly loved this man. And for yet another reason that she had not hitherto
considered.
By the time Sokka reached her, Lin was on what could only be her fourth slice of the tart she had
been eating and she paused mid-bite to turn to him. To her, he was nothing but a stranger, so Toph
walked up behind Sokka, crouched in front of Lin, and said, “Hello again, pet. Do you remember
that I mentioned you coming to live with me and my, err—”

“Husband?” Lin supplied, to which Sokka quietly snorted beside her.

“Mhm, precisely.” She cleared her throat awkwardly, willing herself to not stand up and kick Sokka
for teasing her. “Well, that is him. This, uh, tall drink of water beside me. His name is Sokka.”

Sokka mimicked Toph’s position but then decided to sit down on the ground, his legs crossed.
“Now, I am not that tall; Toph is just frighteningly short.”

Toph inhaled slowly, finding it within herself to not create a giant hole in the ground that would fit
Sokka and all his playful jabs, as Lin let out a soft giggle at that and squirmed off her chair,
offering her small hand to Sokka.

“My name is Lin,” she said.

“Well, Lin, it is very nice to meet you. And if that egg custard tart is any indication, I believe that
you and I are going to be the best of friends.”

With a shy nod, Lin sprung forward to wrap her arms around Sokka’s neck, her little face buried
between it and his shoulder. Sokka seemed stunned by the sudden embrace, but very quickly
returned it with similar if not more fervor than the little one herself.

They stayed like that for a few moments, and Toph enjoyed observing them—feeling their
heartbeats become synchronized after a while, and the way that Sokka was providing comfort to
Lin by gently rubbing her back.

Swallowing the lump forming in her throat, Toph came to her feet, leaving Lin and Sokka alone to
get to know each other the way she and Lin had done not even an hour prior, then sought out Fen.
She needed to get in contact with Katara as soon as she could in order to have her come over to
evaluate Lin’s health. Toph wanted to rule any medical issues out before she got too attached to
Lin.

Though it already seemed that it was much too late to avoid that fate because even after only a
short time with her, Toph already felt a rush of affection toward her and a need to protect her. She
could tell that Sokka felt the same way after mere seconds of having met Lin.

It took Katara about twenty minutes from the receipt of Toph’s message to come knocking at her
and Sokka’s front door.

“Is everything fine?” Katara asked, out of breath, once she was let into the house. She froze in the
drawing room’s doorway, taking in the image of Lin sitting on the ground with Toph and Sokka.

“Everything is fine, sister,” Sokka told her calmly, not taking his attention off Lin, who sat playing
with another toy she had found while rummaging through Toph’s playthings. “We do, however,
seek the assistance of a healer-type such as yourself.”

Lin’s head snapped up at that. “A healer?”

Toph instinctively took the girl’s hand and squeezed it reassuringly—a gesture that was out of
character for the lady of the house, but one that seemed appropriate at the moment. “She is very
good at her job, and I do not hand out compliments such as those often. Besides, we must know if
you are in good health and want to make sure that we can help you if… in the case that you are
not. Is that all right with you, Lin?”

She was hesitant to respond, clutching Toph’s hand for dear life, but then took a shuddering breath
and nodded.

“I will be back,” Toph said with a nod as she stood up to meet Katara. “Allow me a moment.”

Sokka followed her suit, leaving Lin on the ground, nervously playing around with an earthen top.

Katara stood in front of them, stunned. “You have taken in a ward.”

“We have,” Toph confirmed with a meek nod. “I found her hidden in my study at the academy… I
instantly took a liking to her and I brought her here only to find out that she has no family and that
her parents died from a sickness. My guess is typhus, so I wanted—we wanted,” she corrected,
nodding her head over at Sokka, “to have her evaluated. By you.”

Sokka took Toph’s hand in his, and added, “She is a lovely girl, and if she is well and healthy, I
think that we may take her in. Not as a ward, but—but perhaps as a—a daughter.”

Toph turned her neck toward Sokka, her eyes wide, tears threatening to fall at his sudden
declaration.

Again, they had not even discussed what was to happen after Lin was evaluated, but there they
were, on the same page. He wanted Lin for a daughter as much as she did. And she had not even
realized just how much she wanted this, or just how much she wanted him to want this.

“Well,” Katara told them with her voice thick with emotion, “I suppose that I have some work to
do on my niece. Because I have a niece now. My first-ever niece.” A sniffle. “Please excuse me.”

Sokka took his sister’s arm before she left them, and whispered, “Do not mention any of this to her.
We have not had a proper conversation with her about this.”

“Your secret is safe with me. Toph knows I would never open my mouth unless I had to.”

Toph snorted, her eyes still wet with unshed tears, and gave her best friend a playful sock in the
arm. “Go do your job, Sugar Queen.”

“Very well, lovebirds. I shall leave you to it. To discuss things and whatnot.”

Lin’s heartbeat accelerated in the distance as Katara approached her and introduced herself. Her
best friend directed Lin over to one of the chambers down the hall from the drawing room for some
privacy. The poor girl was nervous, and Toph had every reason to believe that any experience that
Lin had ever had with a healer was a bad one considering what happened to her parents. Toph’s
chest tightened at the thought.

She had not realized that her hand was still in Sokka’s until he cleared his throat and nervously
said, “I hope you do not mind what I said. I—I figured that we were in agreement.”

“Well—”

“I just think that Lin should—I think that we would be the best parents to her, and I know that you
said that you are ready for children, but Lin just showed up, did she not? You found her and you
took a liking to her and I took a liking to her—”
“Sokka—”

“Because she—well, she is a very likable youngling, but you—you probably wanted to take her in
for a few days or months as a ward and nothing more—”

Toph had had enough of his adorable rambling and shoved his shoulder, making him quiet down
abruptly. “Take a breath, Snoozles.”

He did—one deep inhale and one long exhale. “A breath.”

“Mhm, now, as I was trying to say—I want nothing more.”

Sokka breathed in sharply, bringing his hands to her cheeks and running his thumbs gently over her
skin. “Are you—are you certain that you are all right with this? We have the means to make
arrangements and get her to a home—”

“I want this. I want—I want all of it. And I want to do it with you.”

“Really?” he asked quietly before she nodded. His face immediately split into a grin as he picked
her up off the ground and kissed her with much passion. They were smiling so much that they were
barely making any contact with each other’s lips, but Toph did not care, and she believed that
Sokka did not care much either.

Before long, he set her back down on the ground and rested his forehead against hers. “I love you. I
love you so much, and I love what we are creating. You have—you have no idea how much.”

Her chest fluttered and she bit back a smile at his words. “But of course you love me. What choice
did you have?”

“I never had a choice,” he told her softly, tucking a strand of hair that had come loose from her
headpiece. “You were it. And I happen to believe that you have always been it, T.”

She closed her eyes when the words left his mouth, finding that she felt the very same way about
him.

…………

An entire half hour passed before Katara and Lin exited the room they were in, both of them
walking happily, hand in hand. She grinned despite trying to remain blank-faced because all she
could bring herself to believe at that moment was that Lin was healthy.

She was well.

It was evident to her that Sokka was thinking the same thing because he gripped her hand as soon
as Toph mentioned that Katara and Lin were in the corridor, on their way to them.

Lin ran straight into Toph’s legs and wrapped her small arms around them as Katara approached
them with a steady heartbeat that further calmed Toph’s nerves. Lin seemed content and Katara
seemed calm, which brought her a great deal of solace.

Toph patted Lin’s head, not knowing what else to do, as Sokka reached down to run his fingers
through the girl’s hair. She found herself pleased, however, that Lin was already seeking comfort
from them, and that she was getting it, regardless of the fact that Toph didn’t have a clue of what
she was doing.
“Can I have a word?” Katara asked them after a moment.

Quickly, Toph nodded and turned to Lin. “We are going to be right back. You may stay with Fen,
who should be here in just a minute.”

Lin let out what sounded a bit like a whine, keeping a strong grip on Toph’s leg. Toph sighed
sadly, knowing that this little girl wanted constant attention from them, but said, “We will be back
in no time, alright? Not even five minutes, and Fen will make the time worth your while.”

Even then, Lin didn’t loosen her grip. That is until Sokka crouched and rubbed her back gently.
“Why do I not stay with Lin and Fen while you talk to ‘Tara?”

“Alright,” Lin told him in a small voice, releasing Toph.

Toph gave Sokka a small smile before running a hand down Lin’s hair. “I shall only be a moment.”

Not really wanting to leave Sokka or Lin, Toph reluctantly walked over to where Katara was
standing on the other side of the drawing room. As she approached, Toph was able to tell that her
best friend was nothing but elated and full of questions.

She would not be Katara if she had not been.

“You have grown up,” was the first thing Katara giddily said. “Look at you. You are an instant
mother! How lovely!”

She snorted, not being able to keep the smile off her face. “I would not put it that way just yet. We
have not even spoken with her about taking her in; I mentioned to her that she could stay with us,
but Sokka and I just talked about her becoming our daughter. She can very well decline our offer
—”

“She will not. She will not. Trust me,” Katara told her firmly, taking her arm in her hand tightly.
“All she was able to do was ask me about you and my brother the entire time I was evaluating her.
I tried to make conversation as an aunt does, and all she wanted was to speak about you two, asking
when she would return to you and how long she would be staying.”

Her best friend’s words made Toph’s heart soar. It was so important to her that Lin wished to stay
with them and become a part of their family. She felt strangely connected to Lin, and Toph
believed that this served as an indication that the little one belonged with her and Sokka. It was the
only fate she was able to foresee.

“I do hope you are correct,” Toph muttered.

“I am.” Katara placed a hand on her cheek. “Only rarely am I wrong about matters of the heart and
things like these.”

Toph shook her head, turning away from Katara for a moment to blink away the obnoxious tears in
her eyes. It took her seconds to decompose herself before Aang came to her mind.

“Have you heard from our sneaky duke lately?” she asked Katara.

“As a matter of fact… I have not, which leads me to think that he is quite deep in seclusion with
Azula.”

“You mean his wife.” Toph snorted.

Katara lifted a hand to her mouth to cover a giggle. “Oh, do you truly think so? I only meant that in
jest. Halfway, anyhow.”

A shrug. “If he has managed to fool everyone into believing that his time spent away from society
is because he is ill or has some kind of dire issue to tend to, I am sure that he is able to hide the fact
that he has married the sister of one of his best friends.”

“Well,” Katara said, “I do hope his airbending can supplement his running enough to get a head
start against my husband.”

Toph supposed that her best friend was correct, but there was also a side of her that wanted to
witness a showdown between Zuko and Aang. She was sure it would bring many laughs.

After they had set Lin up in her new room, Toph allowed herself to unceremoniously throw herself
into the comfort of her bed and her husband’s arms. He seemed happy, and not that she was not
content with that fact, but she wanted to know the reason behind it.

It could have everything to do with the fact that they now had a child living with them, one that
they had committed to making their own, but she had an inkling that it involved something else,
something entirely different. He had arrived at the home earlier with a pep in his step before she
had even shared the news about Lin.

Before she asked him what was occurring, though, Sokka kissed her and said against her lips, “I
have news.”

“Have you?”

“Mhm.”

“I have to admit that I have been waiting for you to tell me whatever it is you have to tell me,
considering how excited you have been all day,” Toph told him as he pulled her into his chest.

He laughed. “You know me so well. It is frightening.”

A beat of silence. “Are you going to tell me this news or will I have to pry the information out of
you?”

“If I opt with you prying the information from me…”

“Do not even think about any funny business because I will be depriving you of any touching or
otherwise until you tell me what you need to tell me.”

Sokka chortled, bringing her hand up to his lips. “You are very impatient, you know that? And
quite ruthless, too.”

“I am well aware, yes. Now, what are you wanting to say?”

He sat up, cleared his throat, and reached over to the bedside table to grab something and hand it to
her.

She furrowed her brows, feeling something heavy and leather bound in her hands. It was a book,
she quickly realized. Anticipation began to spread in her chest as she could only assume what the
contents were. “What am I holding?”

“You, dear wife, are holding the first copy of the very first edition of my travel memoir.”
Toph froze, her eyes wide and, despite trying to hold them back, they filled with tears. She hugged
the book—his book—and to her chest, and turned to face him. “You did it?”

“I did, and I wanted to surprise you with it,” he told her. “I have no idea how I was able to sneak
around with this secret on my conscience, but having the council meetings to fall back on was quite
ideal.”

She raised a surprised brow, only slight uneasiness at that admission from him rising in her gut.
“You lied to me and I was unable to catch you?”

“I was not exactly lying, which is how I figure you were unable to notice,” he told her, likely
knowing that she was wary of his lying to her. “Besides, whenever we would talk about the council
meetings, we were in bed, so my plan was foolproof. I am a smart boy, you know.”

“Eh, only when you want to be.”

Sokka poked her ribs and kissed her forehead. “I could not have done this without you.”

“Of course you could not have. Who would have knocked sense into you if I had not done so?”

“You won't hear any disagreement from me,” he said softly, delicately running his fingers along
her bare arm.

Toph’s hands brushed over the entire cover and back of the book, feeling the cool leather against
her skin, and she could not keep the smile off her face. She could feel some indentation on the
cover and she asked, “What have you titled it?”

“Where the Tides May Take Me: A View of the Earth Kingdom,” he told her immediately. “My
publisher informed me that he wants to have the next volumes of the series released every year
from the moment this one is on the market. So the next one should release this time next year if
this one does well once it is available for purchase.”

“There will be a next one?”

“Certainly. My publisher has already helped me sort my travels into location-based volumes in
accordance with each of the nations, with a total of four books for now, though I am unsure of
which of my travels will serve as a good continuation.”

Toph set the book aside and trailed her fingers up and down his sternum with a wicked smile
spreading on her face. “I think I can help with that.”

“Oh?”

“Mhm,” she hummed, throwing her leg over his waist to straddle him. “But I shall need some
inspiration to conjure something up.”

Sokka sat up to meet her in the middle, brushing his lips up her neck. “You are in great hands, my
love, because I have just the means to supply you with such inspiration.”

“I am going to need a lot of it, however. Should you think you can handle such a weighty duty?”

“I think,” he began to undress her, immediately palming her breast after he pushed her nightgown
off her shoulders, “that I shall be able to do so just fine, ma’am.”

Against his lips, she replied, “I will make sure to hold you to that, sir.”
 …………

After they collapsed beside each other in a sweaty heap and Sokka sleepily ran his fingers against
her skin, all she was able to think about was how unbelievably happy she found herself for the first
time in her life.

Totally and completely happy.

There was suddenly a strange sensation in her chest, a tightening or a tickle—she was unable to put
her finger on it—, almost as if she could feel what kind of future awaited her at the side of the man
she loved, of their little girl, of the family that they were creating.

Toph was convinced, as she very gently traced his facial features with her hands, that she could fall
in love with him all over again each and every day, and she was going to commit to doing so for
the rest of her life because, against all odds, she found what she sought to avoid.

And, by the Spirits, she was never going to surrender it for anything.

Chapter End Notes

we've reached the end! or not quite because there's just one little bonus chapter left to
this thing where Azulaang will play a funny little part in <3

it might not be up by next Saturday because it's literally the only chapter I've
procrastinated on and decided not to write in advance, but it's coming. at some point. i
promise

thanks so much for reading up to this point and i hope you enjoyed this one!

End Notes

- References to regency-era vocab: https://www.georgette-heyer.com/slang.html

https://www.thrillist.com/lifestyle/nation/1800s-insults-slang-from-the-victorian-era

- Rules high society citizens had to abide by during the social season:
http://theatrekimberly.com/portfolio/sense-and-sensibility/manners-in-regency-england/
https://byuprideandprejudice.wordpress.com/2014/01/28/courtship-and-marriage-in-the-
regency-period/
https://jasna.org/publications-2/persuasions-online/vol36no1/bailey/
https://vanessariley.com/blog/2021/11/22/women-and-money-in-the-regency/

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